


Unlikely Friends

by shrimpette



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Some Humor, Spoilers for Marley and Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-03-14 19:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 128,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3423554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrimpette/pseuds/shrimpette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke didn't have anything against parties. However, he believed that being forced to socialize with people he didn't know or care about solely because they were his flatmate's friends was no fun at all. When he had met his flatmate, he believed that it was a bliss. Neji seemed to be a composed and calm man. Unfortunately, his friends were anything but.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sasuke didn't have anything against parties. However, he believed that being forced to socialize with people he didn't know or care about solely because they were his flatmate's friends was no fun at all. When he had met his flatmate, he believed that it was a bliss. Neji seemed to be a composed and calm man. Unfortunately, his friends were anything but.

There was Lee, who, Sasuke could swear, was unable to communicate without shouting. He was overly enthusiastic about everything, starting with TV shows and ending on Neji's choice of soda. He was also challenging people to beat him at doing handstands. The weirdest thing was that he wasn't even drinking.

And then there was the idiot, who agreed to do the handstand challenge. Sasuke wasn't very good with names but this particular blonde has repeated his so often that it somehow grinded itself into Sasuke's skull. _Naruto_. Sasuke was quite certain that their neighbors were already irritated because of the loud music. They didn't need two bodies collapsing onto the floor. Especially since Naruto was barely able to sit straight.

Neji's girlfriend, Tenten, seemed to be the only voice of reason. Sasuke had met her before a couple of times, and while they never really talked, she was at least someone familiar.

"Guys, stop," she pleaded. Sasuke mentally applauded her for that. He himself resigned from trying to talk some sense into two morons. He reckoned that if they were to have any problems, he would just blame everything on Neji. After all, Sasuke was but a guest. Even if he lived under the same roof.

"This is just a friendly competition," Lee exclaimed, getting to the middle of the room. Sasuke anticipated that he would be supporting himself on the wall but it appeared that he was more ambitious. Naruto seemed disconcerted. Sasuke smirked smugly, happy that the moron wouldn't stand a chance against Lee. He knew that _he_ wouldn't. From what Neji had told him about Lee, the man was a real prodigy when it came to sports.

"Naruto," Hinata chimed in. She was Neji's cousin. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to continue - she wasn't very talkative, and Neji made a big fuss about not interrupting her whenever she was talking but it seemed pointless. Hinata's kept quiet through the entire party with a few not very notable exceptions. Sasuke didn't hear her say more than one sentence. And now it seemed that she was down to one word.

"I'll be fine," the blonde slurred. Sasuke wondered how he knew what Hinata wanted to tell him just by hearing her say his name. The moron got up, and also made his way into the center of the room. Lee was already stretching, and he looked quite serious about the challenge. Sasuke thought that if Naruto was _his_ opponent, he would do it half-assedly since it was clear that the blone was about to lose.

Neji eyed two men patiently, and Sasuke was wondering how in the hell these three became friends. When Neji told him that he was throwing a party, and that Sasuke was also invited, Sasuke agreed only because he believed that Neji's friends would be some quiet nerds. He never expected idiots.

Lee got into position, with his arms straight above his head. Then he took a step, and tipped his body forward, landing on hands. In less time then it would take to pronounce his name, Lee was standing on his hands, straight as an arrow. Naruto whistled in admiration. Sasuke arched an eyebrow - that wasn't how one should treat their opponent. The blonde clapped his hands, and mimicked Lee's movements. To Sasuke's surprise, he managed to do a proper handstand.

"Very nice," Lee applauded Naruto, who grinned at him, showing off his teeth. Naruto's t-shirt rolled down, uncovering his tanned, muscular back. Sasuke told himself that he was staring only because he wanted to judge their performances justly. It soon turned out that a judge wasn't really needed because Naruto's arms bent under him when he was trying to show off by doing a push up. His body collapsed on the floor, and one of his legs pushed Lee, who for a short while lost his balance but he somehow managed to recover.

"You've won," Naruto laughed at Lee. The man raised one of his arms, and showed Naruto a thumb up. Sasuke wondered what did it take to be able to do that. He made a mental note to never agree to Lee's challenges. They were unwinnable. Lee made a swift movement, and dropped into an arch. Then he rested his body on the floor, and stood up. He was moving in a gracious, harmonious way. The moron wasn't. "Now, who wants to challenge me to a drinking contest?" he asked, his face already flushed from the alcohol.

If some bets were unwinnable, some were impossible to lose.

"You've already lost," Sasuke stated, Neji turned his head at him, clearly surprised that he decided to open his mouth and speak. He wasn't especially talkative either. Naruto frowned at Sasuke, and sat next to him, even though the spot was occupied by someone, whose name Sasuke didn't remember. The woman left for a bathroom a while ago, and Sasuke wondered whether he shouldn't usher Neji to go check on her. He wouldn't want to have to enter the bathroom, if everything was to be covered in vomit.

"Are you sure you can keep up with me?" Naruto asked, pouring them vodka. Then he looked around the table and filled some of the other people's glasses. He was more thoughtful than he looked like.

"Hn," replied Sasuke. He downed his glass without clinking it with the other man's. The blue eyes narrowed in irritation.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Naruto asked when Sasuke poked the bottle, letting him know that he was ready to drink again.

"We don't have anything to talk about," he pointed out. At the beginning he was wondering why Neji didn't want to live with some of his other friends. Now he knew.

Tenten was a lousy drinker - she seemed rather cool but it seemed that alcohol changed her into a clingy monster. Naruto was chatting with the rest of the people, every once in a while stealing a glance at Sasuke. Sasuke would always nod his head, and the blonde would pour him another shot.

After some time Sasuke came to a devastating realization. He was getting more drunk but Naruto wasn't. His eyes were just as shifty as at the beginning, his movements just as ungracious and slow. Sasuke cursed under his breath, and rested his head on the table. He was feeling sleepy. And he didn't mind the music as much as he had before.

"That was an easy win," Naruto hiccupped. Sasuke pursed his lips, and raised his head, noting that his cheek was wet and sticky from the soda that was spilled on the table. He tried to wipe it off but he only managed to get his hand sticky as well.

"I can still drink," he assured the blonde. It all happened only because he was so bored by this party, he persuaded himself. He was surrounded by annoying people whom he didn't know. That was the only reason why getting wasted sounded so good. Naruto handed him the bottle, and Sasuke realized that now it was his turn to pour them alcohol. He didn't like doing it. On the other hand, if Naruto resigned from doing it, it could mean that he could still win. Sasuke sighed, and filled their glasses, knowing very well that he would be hungover on the next day. It didn't really matter because the moron wouldn't see him. And he was sure he could just shut himself in his room to make sure that Neji wouldn't learn about it as well.

* * *

Naruto glared at the stubborn man. He wished Sasuke just gave up. At the beginning of the party he had been trying to make the man open up - he felt somewhat sympathetic, knowing that Neji was the only person Sasuke knew. And he knew him for a week. Knowing Neji for a week equaled to not knowing him at all. So he tried, asking the asshole about his name, and trying to make him socialize. He wanted Neji's flatmate to have a good time - after all, if he didn't have a good time, he could turn out pretty problematic in the future.

But it didn't work. The asshole clearly didn't want to have fun. And he didn't even look twice at Sakura, who was sitting next to him, trying to flirt. Naruto would kill for an opportunity like this but Sasuke didn't even seem to notice it. And he's just said that they had nothing to talk about.

They were the same fucking major, and he's said that they had nothing to talk about. That had to take some nerve. It was as if the asshole didn't care whether he would have someone to talk to during or after classes. When Naruto saw whom Neji's flatmate was, he was happy. He realized that if he ever needed someone to pair up with for a project, he would be set. It appeared that he had been wrong.

Naruto poked Sasuke, letting him know that the bottle was already finished. Naruto had to suppress a chuckle when he saw Sasuke trying to fill their glasses with an empty bottle.

"You're drunk," he pointed out. The man glared back at him, his black eyes unfocused. He raised his index finger as if he wanted to say something smart.

"I can still drink," he slurred. Naruto snorted at that, and Sasuke frowned. Then he returned to trying to pour them a drink.

"You should go to sleep," the blonde suggested. Sasuke seemed offended by that. He repeated that he could still drink for the umpteenth time that evening, and Naruto caught Neji roll his eyes. Neji didn't like it when Naruto was intoxicating his friends. Naruto could still remember _why_ Lee wasn't drinking alcohol now. And he probably should had been smarter than that. Luckily enough, Neji was too busy with Tenten, who apparently discovered that after everyone would go home, she would be able to bed him. "You _really_ should go to sleep," he insisted. Sasuke eyed him angrily, muttering some curses under his breath.

The party was pretty much dead. Sakura was found in the bathroom an hour ago, and Lee volunteered to take her home. Hinata went with them. It was pretty clear that Tenten would stay with Neji. So it was just them, and Naruto didn't want to overuse Neji's hospitality.

"Let's go to your room," he said. The black eyes widened in surprise. Naruto didn't know why the man would be surprised. It seemed only fair if they were to leave Neji and Tenten alone. And he hoped that he would be able to make the man lie on the bed. He was pretty sure that if he was able to achieve that, the bastard would go to sleep. And then Naruto would just have to somehow go back home. Even if he didn't feel like going. It was late, and he was tired.

"Fine," the asshole uttered. Naruto sighed, and got up, quickly regretting the decision. His world swayed, and he was barely able to stand straight. Sasuke smirked at him. Then he stood up, and staggered, almost falling into Naruto. "...fuck," he whispered. It was Naruto's turn to crack a smile.

Sasuke headed to, as Naruto assumed, his room, and Naruto followed. He fell into a wall on his way there. He was relieved that the man didn't go to the kitchen to grab another bottle of booze. He was quite certain that he would eventually pass out. On the other hand, when the man sat on his bed, Naruto had no idea as to what they should do next. The man wasn't interested in talking. And they didn't have anything to drink. And he didn't look as if he was going to go to sleep. Sasuke eyed him.

"Why did you want to come here?" he asked, drawling out the last word. Naruto honestly thought that they would keep on drinking. Still, he didn't feel like doing it.

"We were bothering Neji and Tenten," he replied, and slumped on the bed next to the man. The bed was already made - Sasuke seemed smart enough to prepare himself a place to sleep beforehand. It was a good habit Naruto didn't have.

"It's a tie, then," Sasuke said. Naruto almost voiced his disagreement but he reminded himself that he in fact didn't feel like still drinking. And Sasuke's bed was too soft for its own good. He felt himself drifting off. "Don't fall asleep here," the man complained. Naruto forced himself to open his eyes. He had to go home. He blinked in surprise, when he felt something resting on his arm. He turned his head, noticing a mop of black hair.

"You're gay," he exclaimed in sudden realization. Sasuke raised his head from Naruto's arm, trying to lock his eyes with the blonde's. He seemed pissed off. Then his face became paler - and Naruto was quite certain that it was impossible - and his body spasmed. The man tried to cover his mouth with his hand but he didn't quite make it. "Gross," Naruto snorted. Sasuke just threw up on him. He stared at the flustered man, who was eying the damages. Naruto's shirt was wet. The blonde was more than glad that Sasuke was just drinking, and not eating. Then his body contracted again, and Naruto found himself grabbing the man by his collar and shoving him off the bed. This time he threw up on the floor. "You can't hold your alcohol," he complained. Sasuke turned his head, glaring daggers at him. Then he returned to vomiting, and Naruto realized that he probably shouldn't leave him alone. He would probably choke to death. He didn't want Neji to get angry with him again.

"Don't tell Neji," Sasuke muttered, his cheeks red with embarrassment. Naruto released his collar from his grip, and the man almost fell into his vomit. "Don't just let go of me," he complained. Then he rose to his feet, and left the room, probably to clean up after himself. When he returned, he seemed just as sick as before.

"Need my help?" Naruto asked, hoping that the answer would be negative. It was. He took off the t-shirt, and threw it on the floor. He would have to borrow one of Neji's on the next morning. He already knew that he wasn't getting home this evening.

"...why are you undressing?" Sasuke questioned, eying him angrily.

"Because you threw up on me," Naruto retorted. The brunette opened his dresser, and threw him a black t-shirt. Naruto put it on, mentally congratulating himself on the fact that most of his friends were roughly his size. It made life much easier.

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes, quickly regretting the decision. It was way too bright. And his pounding head was hanging from the bed. And there was a plastic bowl underneath him. Partially filled plastic bowl. Sasuke frowned in disgust, and tried to turn to his other side, deciding that he would much rather go back to sleep than take care of the mess he's made but he realized that someone's hand was entangled in his hair, making it quite impossible to move. He blinked his eyes. He didn't remember much from the last evening. He remembered the stupid handstands challenge. And that he agreed to a drinking contest. Did he lose?

"You're finally awake," a voice muttered. It sounded pissed off. The hand was removed from his hair, so he was able to turn to his side, and face whoever it was that was lying next to him. Sasuke jerked in surprise when he saw the blonde from yesterday.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. He wasn't naked so they probably didn't have sex. At least Sasuke hoped they didn't. Fucking Neji's friend didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Making sure you won't choke on your own vomit," the man uttered, rubbing his forehead. Sasuke frowned. It seemed that all of Neji's friends had at least one useless talent. The moron's was to drink way more than a normal human being was capable of. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise when he recognized the t-shirt the idiot was wearing. It was one of his. Unfortunately, before he could question how exactly Naruto came into possession of it, he had to turn again. His stomach twisted in pain as he was dry heaving into the bowl. He felt nauseous but he didn't have anything to throw up with. "You want me to make you some tea or bring you water?" the blonde asked. Sasuke wondered why he should care. It would be even more embarrassing if they really did have sex but were forced to stop because of Sasuke's vomiting. He wouldn't be able to live this down.

"...I'll manage," he replied, and got up from bed. He was wearing just his t-shirt and underwear. That was a good sign. And he had morning wood. That was embarrassing but it could imply that nothing had happened. He put on his jeans, that were lying next to the bed, hoping that the moron didn't notice that he was hard.

He went into the kitchen, where he saw Tenten preparing breakfast for Neji and herself. The smell was pretty good. Sasuke wondered whether eating was already safe.

"How was your night?" Tenten asked, smirking suggestively at him. Sasuke glared back at her, wondering what was she insinuating.

"It was fine," he answered, pouring himself a glass of water. Then he poured another one. The moron was probably thirsty as well.

He returned to his room, and handed the glass to the blonde, who accepted it with gratitude.

"What are you doing in my bed?" he finally asked. The idiot rolled his eyes at him, and Sasuke got angry. Rolling one's eyes wasn't an actual answer.

"Definitely not sleeping," he replied. That was worrying.

"...did we?" he asked uncertainly. The moron's face turned to bright red. Apparently they _didn't_. But now the idiot knew that it was a viable possibility. Sasuke sighed. He shouldn't be forced to think while hungover.

" _No_ ," the blonde replied. Sasuke realized that he didn't even remember the guy's name. He lied next to him, massaging his temples. He would love to take some painkillers but he was afraid that he would just throw them up. And he didn't like the taste of half-digested medicine. "You're an asshole, you know that, right?" the man questioned. Sasuke side-eyed him. The guy didn't seem very bright. "I've stayed with you for the whole night, watching after you so you wouldn't drown in your own vomit - and bear in mind that I was drunk as fuck while I was doing that - and I couldn't sleep because you can't even throw up quietly, and-"

"I haven't asked you to do it, have I?" Sasuke interrupted the man. The moron looked as if he was about to implode. The brunette smirked at him.

"You're such a jerk," he whined. "Would it kill you to say that you're sorry or to thank me?"

"...for what?" Sasuke asked. The moron turned on his stomach, and let out a loud frustrated groan into Sasuke's pillow. Sasuke realized that he wouldn't mind hearing the man groan. Whenever he wasn't producing actual words, his voice was quite attractive - low and throaty, just like Sasuke liked it.

"For throwing up on me," the moron suggested. Sasuke clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. That would explain how the man ended up wearing his t-shirt.

"At least now I know that I can trust my drunken judgement," he said. Then he winced in pain when a fist landed on his stomach. He got to his knees and returned the hit. The moron bent in half, much to Sasuke's satisfaction.

"You're a selfish prick," the blonde decided, getting up from bed. "I'm keeping the shirt," he announced. He left Sasuke's room, and Sasuke was certain that he wouldn't miss him. He made a mental note to not accept Neji's invitations again. With a bit of luck, he wouldn't have to see the idiot ever again.

* * *

Monday classes were starting early. Sasuke took his usual place by the window. He didn't quite feel like socializing with the rest of the students. It seemed bothersome and unnecessary. He heard someone land on the chair next to him. He glared at the newcomer. Common courtesy demanded to at least ask whether the seat wasn't taken. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw familiar mop of blond hair.

"Are you some kind of a stalker?" he questioned. He had no idea how the guy knew where to find him. The blonde stared back at him, evidently surprised by Sasuke's outburst.

"Why would I stalk you?" the moron asked. Sasuke had learned from Neji that his name was Naruto. He wasn't sure why he needed that knowledge.

"Don't ask me, I've never stalked anyone," Sasuke replied. Naruto rolled his eyes, and turned to the other side. Sasuke realized that the man was really crazy. Over the course of one day he had learned where Sasuke had classes and made friends with people from his group. He poked the blonde, who turned to him with a pained expression on his face. "You have to stop," he informed him. Naruto stared at him for the longest time, pretending that he had no idea what Sasuke was getting at.

"Sasuke, are you going to the pub with us?" a blond woman sitting next to Naruto asked. "We're going after the classes," she informed him. Sasuke glared at her, wondering whether he felt like going. He didn't.

"No," he answered. The woman frowned, and Sasuke could swear that he heard Naruto mumble "thank god."

"Don't worry, Ino, you aren't missing out on anything worthwhile," Naruto told the woman, who beamed at him.

"Are you two friends?" she asked. Sasuke couldn't understand why anyone  would think that they were friends. And he was shocked that no-one was questioning the idiot about his reasons to transfer to this group.

"Hell no," Naruto replied, laughing heartily. "He lives with a friend of mine, though."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't understand Naruto's strategy. First, he stalks him and moves into his group, and then he acts as if he didn't want anything from Sasuke. Sasuke had dealt with his fair share of stalkers but that was a novelty.

"Make him go," she pleaded. Sasuke wondered whether the woman and the moron weren't conspiring together. Naruto turned to him. He seemed unhappy.

"Hey asshole," he started. The brunette knitted his eyebrows. A stalker shouldn't address their object of obsession in such words. "Do you want to go grab a beer after the classes?"

"No," Sasuke repeated. Naruto smiled at him, and ruffled his hair as if he was a dog.

"That's a good boy," he chirped, and turned away from him.

"Why are you here?" the brunette demanded to know. Naruto turned his head at him. It seemed that he got too lazy to move his entire body.

"The same reason why you're here, duh," the idiot answered. "I have classes. Why else would I be up at 8 am?"

"Why do you have classes with me?" Sasuke asked. The blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Because we're the same major?" he muttered. He seemed clueless as to why he was being interrogated. He was good at playing innocent.

"Why are we the same major?"

"I have no idea. Perhaps we have something in common after all," he retorted. Sasuke blinked his eyes. The woman was staring at Sasuke as if he was saying something stupid.

"You're doing that just because I've said that we don't have anything to talk about?" he asked. Naruto gawked at him. "Seriously, did you transfer here just to make a point-"

"What is your problem with me?" the blonde interrupted him. "I didn't transfer anywhere, I was here from the very beginning." He rubbed his forehead. Then he cocked one blue eye at Sasuke. "Wait, you do know that I was here from the very beginning, right?"

Sasuke stared at the man. He didn't know. And he wouldn't believe in it either if it wasn't for the woman, who was furiously nodding her head. He cleared his throat. He would have to pay more attention to the people around him.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" he whined in an accusing tone. Naruto burst out laughing.

"I thought you knew," he wheezed. He was having problems with catching his breath. "Man, maybe you should really come get that beer or you'll end up not knowing the rest of your year," he chuckled. Sasuke glared daggers at him. Somehow, it didn't sound as pointless anymore. He probably should meet his peers.

"Fine," he agreed. The woman squealed with delight, and shared the news with some of her girlfriends. Naruto didn't seem too happy about it, so Sasuke arched an eyebrow and started chatting with some of them just to further annoy him. After five minutes or so he realized that his plan backfired. The girls were even more irritating than the moron. Luckily for him, the professor finally showed up, and they could start their literature course.

Sasuke usually wasn't too interested in giving out his opinion, and he had spent the last week almost not talking during the classes or between them. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't shut up. He wasn't even bothering with raising his hand anymore, and the professor didn't seem to mind it. Somehow, during the classes Sasuke felt an immense need to speak up. He ignored the fact the only reason for him to do so was to disagree with the moron. It wasn't his fault that Naruto's interpretation of the story was shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what this is. I just felt like writing something stupid because all of my other stories are either close to finish or close to angsty parts, or sometimes both, and... I don't have a clue. This story won't be my priority I mostly plan for it to be first a slooooow build romance, and, then, some lemons. Nothing too ambitious. Let me know if I should even bother with it.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto was walking towards the pub, trying to ignore the fact that Ino and some of her friends flocked around Sasuke. He knew that the bastard wouldn't be able to pretend that he was a nice guy for too long. Kiba trudged next to him, throwing his arms in the air.

"That guy didn't show up. And he didn't even say that he wouldn't show up," he complained. Naruto wasn't as irritated. It just meant that they were able to go home sooner since these were supposed to be their last classes. The rest of the group followed them through the campus.

"Maybe he couldn't help it," Chouji suggested. Kiba glared at him.

"He picked up his phone, so he could have made the call," he growled.

"At least we'll be able to get over with this sooner," muttered Gaara. Naruto nodded. While he didn't agree with the wording, the redhead was right.

"Yeah, it's pretty troublesome," said Shikamaru, looking for something in his bag. Then he took out a crumpled cigarette and a lighter. Soon enough, he started to pollute the air with smoke. "It's Monday and we have classes tomorrow," he whined. "And I still didn't write that thing," he added, lighting the cigarette again.

"It'll be fun," Naruto exclaimed. He felt someone pull his arm, and turned his head to see Ino, who was smiling at him.

"Of course, it'll be fun," she said. "Shikamaru simply likes to complain a lot," she whispered into Naruto's ear, sending Shikamaru a mocking stare.

"I don't," the man disagreed. She grabbed his cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it with her shoe. The man rolled his eyes at her.

"You've said you wanted to quit," she said when she saw him looking for another one.

"I'm stressed," he replied. He didn't sound stressed. He sounded as if he was too bored to even try to bullshit her properly.

He, Ino and Chouji went to the same highschool, and completed their BA at the same university. It had to feel nice to have one's friends with them. Naruto's decided to study different majors since they left high school. Sakura went to premed school, Neji and Hinata were studying German, and Lee and Tenten studied PE. He was the only English major in their group. He sulked in himself, watching Kiba arguing with Shino whether their professor, Hatake Kakashi, was or wasn't the biggest piece of shit. He looked over his shoulder, and saw pissed off Sasuke. Naruto smiled under his nose, and waited for him and the girls. The brunette glared daggers at him. It seemed that he was regretting having  agreed to the outing.

"So," Naruto started, not certain where he wanted to go with it. "You thought I was a stalker..." He waited for a while but Sasuke didn't grace him with an answer.

"Why did you think Naruto was a stalker?" Temari asked the man, who just frowned at her.

"He stole my t-shirt and he refuses to give it back," he muttered. Naruto gawked at him. He had no idea how the man managed to make _him_ look bad. _He_ was the paranoid one.

"You threw up on me," he retorted. He didn't plan to bring that embarrassing moment up before but it seemed that acting humane with Sasuke was absolutely pointless. The guy had an incurable case of douchebaggery.

"You've jumped into my bed," Sasuke mused, smirking smugly at Naruto, whose cheeks burnt. The brunette seemed completely unfazed, and the women around him were clearly on his side.

"It wasn't like that, he was drunk, he could barely stand straight," he tried to defend himself. Sasuke looked as if he was about to snort. "No, wait," he cried, seeing Temari's darkening face. "That came out wrong. I've put you to bed because you were drunk as fuck. And I've stayed with you," he added hastily, noticing that the woman wanted to interrupt him, "because otherwise you would've drowned in your vomit," he concluded. Temari's expression softened. Then she turned to Sasuke, and pointed her finger at his chest.

"Not funny," she growled, and ran up to Shikamaru and the rest. Her girlfriends followed her.

"I knew that they would leave you alone the moment they would find out that you're a total jerk," Naruto stated happily. Sasuke glared at him.

"Then why _you_ didn't?" he hissed. The blonde shrugged his arms.

"They're reminiscing," he explained. "And I felt left out," he said. "So I thought it would be less awkward if I was walking next to someone, who wasn't talking as well."

"I thought you wanted to get to know these guys," the brunette grunted. Naruto side-eyed him. He already knew these guys. More or less.

" _You_ wanted to get to know these guys," he pointed out. Sasuke sighed. "It's quite amazing to watch you go from a ten to a three the moment you decide to say something, though," he chuckled. Sasuke sent him a death stare.

"I thought you didn't want to talk," he uttered, and started walking faster to catch up with the rest of the group. Naruto watched him being grabbed by Ino. He allowed her to hug his arm but he didn't return the gesture. And it appeared that he listened to Naruto's advice about not talking.

* * *

"Seriously? You're on your phone?" Naruto asked. Sasuke raised his eyes, wondering why would the idiot care. "No wonder you can't remember anyone-"

"I didn't remember _you_ ," he corrected the blonde, and returned to his phone. Ino was leaning on him, and Sasuke was wondering whether he should inform the woman that she should find herself someone else she could give her affections to. He shifted his arm, making her let go off him. It seemed that she didn't care, completely engulfed in gossiping about their teachers. From what Sasuke overheard, Kakashi was considered handsome. He also learned that Kurenai was a "total sweetheart," and that Hidan was a nutjob.

"Asshole," the moron gritted out through his teeth, and turned to face Shino and Kiba. It seemed that they were best buddies now.

"Kurenai is absolutely gorgeous, isn't she?" Ino shouted into Sasuke's ear. He glared at her. Then he forced himself to smile, remembering that he might need someone he could borrow notes from.

"She's fine," he replied. The woman really was pretty. So was Ino. His phone vibrated, and he snorted, reading a text from Suigetsu. He and Juugo decided to stay for their MA at their former university, and it appeared that Juugo's already managed to get in trouble.

"You have a girlfriend?" Ino questioned. Sasuke shook his head absentmindedly, asking Suigetsu about more details. He missed his friends but they parted their ways. He didn't expect to stay in touch with them but they somehow managed to do it. "But you _like_ someone," she said. Sasuke turned his head to her. There was a chance that she would leave him alone if he was to lie.

"Yeah," he answered, reading Suigetsu's reply with an amused smile on his face. He learned that Juugo was arrested for chaining himself to a tree. It appeared that their university wanted to erect a new building in a place, which was formerly a park. To his surprise, Ino cooed at him.

"Oh my gosh, I'll totally help you," she said. "Guys, Sasuke has someone he likes," she told the rest of the group, and, for some strange reason, even more women gathered around him, offering their advice. "What are you two talking about?" she inquired. She seemed quite tipsy already. "Because you're texting her, right? I mean, this is the first time I saw you smile. You must be head over heels in love for her," she exclaimed.

"It's a he," he answered. Pretending that Suigetsu was his crush perhaps wasn't the smartest move but it would ensure that Ino and the rest would stop trying to make a move on him. It would be a welcome change.

"Sorry," the woman whispered hastily. "So, what are you two talking about?"

Sasuke bit the insides of his cheek, wondering what to say. He wasn't used to lying, he never saw any reason to.

"It's private," he grunted.

He expected the women to get angry with him but they didn't. They just squealed as if he was a five year old, who didn't want to show them his drawing. He felt stupid. This whole situation seemed stupid. He had no idea what he was still doing there. He had learned enough names and was pretty certain that he would recognize his fellow students' faces. And he still couldn't force himself to care about what the others were talking about.

He heard Kiba burst out laughing and wheeze, so he turned his head at him and Naruto, who had a proud smile glued to his face. It appeared that the moron said something funny enough to make the other moron laugh.

"You kiss your mother with these lips?!" Kiba cried, trying to catch a breath. Naruto's face tensed, and his proud smile changed into a strained one.

"No-" he replied quietly, looking away. His eyes locked with Sasuke's but he soon became flustered, and turned his head.

"I hope so, that was nasty," Kiba chuckled, completely unaware of what exactly happened.

Sasuke also wasn't certain what it was. And he wasn't willing to find out. Naruto waved at the bartender, who was busy with cleaning tables. Sasuke arched an eyebrow - that was rather rude. The bartender approached their lounge, and, what was even more shocking, sat next to the blond idiot.

"What do you want?" the blue-haired woman asked in an angry tone. Sasuke mentally applauded her for her healthy attitude.

"Will you _please_ take my shift tomorrow?" Naruto begged. The bartender huffed at him, and ruffled his hair.

"Yahiko will be pissed off when he hears about it," she muttered. "You're already slacking off."

"I've brought customers," Naruto protested. The woman smiled at him.

"I will take yours tomorrow but you will take mine on Wednesday, and give me yours on Saturday," she bargained. The blonde frowned. Sasuke wasn't too surprised. On Saturdays the pub was probably packed. It was located next to the dorms, and the prices were rather low. On the other hand, the quality of the beer they were serving was also low. It tasted like piss mixed with spirit. The idiot agreed to the woman's conditions, and she left to finish the cleaning.

"I didn't know you were working here," Ino exclaimed, sounding way too excited. "I've been here so many times, and I've never seen you here..."

"I've started during the summer," he informed her, stretching his long legs, and folding his arms behind his neck. "Konan's really cool, and Yahiko... well... he has his moments, I guess," he chuckled. Sasuke assumed that Konan was the bartender's name. "I have an employee discount," he whispered, and Ino's eyes glowed with joy. She was definitely way too excited. Sasuke wondered how in the hell she was still able to act as if discounted alcohol was the greatest treat in the world. To his surprise, others seemed to agree with her.

"We should totally get wasted in here," she decided. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and threw a ball made of napkin at her. She threw it back, with much better aim. He hit her in the bosom, and she hit him between his eyes. "I didn't say we should do it today," she cried. "And, Naruto, since you're free on Saturday... maybe we could meet in here?" she suggested.

"We were supposed to check out that new restaurant," Chouji complained. "I've already booked a table-"

"Well, yes, but we were supposed to do that at dinner time," Ino retorted. "I'm sure we could meet here in the evening. I will have to change in between, though," she mused. "Would 8 pm be fine with you?" she asked the group. Majority of the people agreed to come.

"I'm busy," Sasuke replied. He wasn't exactly busy. He was supposed to see his brother on Saturday but his brother would return home by 6 pm. Ino frowned at him.

"Are you seeing your sweetheart?" she asked. Sasuke shook his head, wondering what was the deal with her and the word "sweetheart." Apparently, it could describe every single person in existence. "Then you should totally come."

"I don't want to," he grunted. Her eyes widened, and Sasuke started to wonder whether Naruto wasn't right about keeping his mouth shut. "I can't," he corrected himself. The blonde snorted. He could probably learn from Neji that Sasuke in fact was able to come. If he was interested enough to ask about it.

"I can haul your drunken ass home if that's what you're worried about," he laughed. Sasuke glared daggers at him. He couldn't remember much from the last time they were drinking but he was quite certain that it wasn't even half as bad as Naruto wanted him to believe it was.

"I'd manage on my own," he growled. The blonde shook his head, grinning like an idiot.

"You didn't see yourself," he chuckled. "And I know that I agreed to a tie but we both know who is the real winner," he added. Sasuke fought the urge to ask for a rematch. He used to believe that he had a rather high alcohol resistance. He had always been able to outdrink his friends. Not that he actively tried to, it would be rather silly. "But, then again, you've chickened out on the handstand challenge so I guess I can't expect too much from you-"

"I could easily beat you," he muttered before he could stop himself. The idiot raised his eyebrow in a taunting manner, and Sasuke wondered why in the hell he acted as if he was a five year old again. "But it's stupid," he added.

"And, once again, you don't deliver," Naruto laughed.

" _Or_ I don't want to act like an imbecile," he suggested. He packed his phone, deciding that it was time to leave. There was no point in staying there any longer. He rummaged through his bag, making sure that he had everything still with him. He couldn't find his wallet. He patted his jacket and jeans pockets, looking for it, but it was fruitless. "Have you seen my wallet?" he asked, getting up, and searching for it in the sofa, hoping that it just disappeared in the slits between the cushions. It wasn't there. Sasuke felt his throat turn dry.

"No," Ino replied, also getting up to help him search for it. "If you won't find it, I can pay for you," she offered, looking sympathetic. Sasuke cursed under his breath. Money was the last thing he would miss if the wallet was to be never found again.

"Are you sure you had it on you?" Naruto asked. For once, he didn't sound like a cocky moron.

"Yeah," he answered, ushering people to get up so he could look for it.

Ino and Naruto helped him out, and he would probably feel gratitude if he wasn't so panicked. One of the last photos of his parents was in there, and he hated himself for ever putting it there. He should had left it at home where it would be safe.

"Chill out, you can block your credit cards via phone," Kiba suggested, seeing him flip out a cushion. Sasuke rubbed his temples. He tried to remember when was the last time he's seen it. "Unless you're actually carrying all of your money on you but that would be rather stupid," he grunted.

"I don't care about the money," he gritted through his teeth. Ino sent him a worried look, and patted him on the back. He snapped her hand away. He saw Naruto approach Konan, and heard him ask whether somebody didn't hand her a wallet. She shook her head, and replied that she would make sure to let him know if anything was to be found. " _Fuck_ ," he cursed.

Shikamaru kneeled on the floor, and looked under the sofa. Then he raised his head, and sent Sasuke an apologetic look.

"Sorry, buddy, it's not there," he said. "You should still block your cards, though," he added. "Maybe you lost it on your way here?"

"I remember I put it on the table," Sasuke retorted. "If one of you stole it, then I'm just asking you to give me back the photo that's in there," he muttered. He should had listened to his voice of reason and never come here. It was a terrible idea.

"Nobody stole it," Naruto protested. "Now, guys, move your asses, we're going to find it," he said.

Somehow, the rest of the group listened to him. They looked through the cushions but it was still not there. Sasuke breathed out through his nose, trying to calm himself down. He should have scanned the picture, and store it somewhere. Carrying it in his wallet was just stupid and reckless. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. He saw Naruto push the sofa, and heard something rustle.

"There _is_ something there," the blonde exclaimed happily. Unfortunately, when the furniture was out of the way, they could only see dust, thrash, and some change. Sasuke frowned. "I guess we should vacuum in here," Naruto chuckled sheepishly. He pushed the sofa back to its original place but something rustled again. He lay on the floor, looking under the sofa. "It's dark in there so I can't really see anything," he whined. "Would someone help me lift this up?"

Kiba rolled his eyes, stood on the other end of the sofa, and grabbed it. Chouji said that he would break his back if he was to do it like that, so, obviously, he didn't change his position into a proper one. Two morons huffed, and lifted the piece of furniture.

"So? Is it in there?" Naruto asked in a strained tone. Sasuke lowered himself, rather devoid of hope. Then he felt the stress leave his body. It really _was_ in there. "Faster, this thing is pretty heavy," the blonde complained.

"There is a wallet," Ino said, and leaned in to retrieve it. She dusted it off, and handed it to Sasuke. "I hope it's yours," she said. The sofa was lowered with a soft thump. Sasuke accepted the wallet, feeling others' stares on him. He started to wonder whether Naruto _really_ wasn't on spot when it came to him and talking.

"Thanks," he mumbled out. He eyed the rest of the group. He _had_ just assumed that one of them could be a thief. "Sorry," he said. He shrugged in surprise when Naruto once again invaded his personal space to ruffle his hair.

"So you _are_ able to not act is if you were a dick," he chirped. "And look, just one day, and you've learned the magical words, maybe you're not entirely lost to the world," he snorted.

Sasuke wanted to punch him. His eyes narrowed in anger, and he raised his arm to grab the other man's hoodie but he stopped himself when he heard the rest of the group return to their spots. Somehow, the heavy atmosphere has been lifted. Some of them even laughed, and they resumed their conversations. He eyed the blonde.

"No need to thank me, asshole," Naruto whispered.

"I wasn't going to," he replied quietly. The blonde made a face at him, and Sasuke couldn't decide whether he preferred verbal or non-verbal communication with the idiot. Both seemed equally annoying. "Moron," he added, deciding that he had been called names enough times to finally reply with one.

* * *

Naruto knocked on doors, feeling ridiculous. German was assigned as his second language, and during the classes he realized that he was bound to fail it. During the first meeting there was a test, which was supposed to help the teacher decide the level of proficiency of the group, and it turned out that he was the only person, who's never learned it. During the second classes, the teacher, Anko, didn't say a word in Japanese. Naruto was just sitting there, completely lost and dumbfounded. He needed someone he could study with. And it was just his luck that he had a friend, who could help him out with it.

"Hey," Neji greeted him, inviting him inside, and showing him a chair in the living room. The table was cluttered with books and notebooks, and Naruto had no idea what any of these were. He sat down, glancing at the materials Neji prepared for him. "So, what are you doing right now?" he asked pragmatically. The blonde shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what they were doing right now. "I see," the brunette mumbled out. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is Sasuke with you?" he asked. Naruto nodded his head. Obviously, the bastard's level was above the rest of the group. He was even allowed to not come to the classes. Somehow, Naruto was certain that the asshole wouldn't miss a chance of humiliating him with his superior German skills.

Neji knocked on bastard's doors but there was no reply. Naruto stood up, and approached his friend. He wasn't sure whether he wanted Sasuke to get involved in this. The man was clearly interested in taking revenge for whatever imaginary crimes Naruto's committed, and he would probably just lie, making Neji teach him something unneeded.

"Can't you just show me the basics?" he asked. Neji looked at him over his shoulder, and entered the room. It was dark in there. Naruto leaned forward, wondering why in the hell the bastard would be sleeping. It was barely 7 pm. He saw Sasuke lying on his bed, wearing a headset, and listening to something, his laptop resting on his knees. Then the brunette chuckled, and, for the first time since Naruto's met him, he didn't look as he was forced to swim through a gutter.

"And then what happened?" he asked, his face relaxed. Neji huffed with annoyance, and walked up to the bed, leaning forward, and blocking Sasuke's view on the screen with his long hair. "Wait, I'll call you back in a while," Sasuke muttered, and pulled his headset down, so it was resting around his neck. He eyed Neji, clearly unhappy that he had decided to invade his room. "What do you want?" he inquired. The spell was broken, and his face returned to its usual disinterested state.

"What are you doing in German classes?" Neji asked. Sasuke stared at him in bewilderment.

"Why do you care?" he questioned, straightening his back. Then he frowned. Naruto waved at him, deciding that it probably meant that he's been spotted. "You should give up on tutoring that moron, it's pointless."

"That would be my problem," Neji replied. Naruto wondered how both of them were able to live together. They were probably destined to kill one another before the month would end. He hoped that Neji would win. He was _his_ bastard. "So, what are you doing?"

Sasuke sighed, and got up from bed. Then he opened a desk drawer, and took out a notebook, which he handed to his flatmate. Neji scanned through it quickly - Naruto knew that the man took some speed reading classes when they were still in high school, and apparently, he was one of the very few people, for whom it actually worked.

"So, you have the first test scheduled two weeks from now," he murmured, sounding unhappy. It appeared that there would be a lot of material to be covered. Naruto gulped.

"He would be probably allowed to retake it if he was to fail," Sasuke said, and returned to his bed. "So you may act as if you've had three weeks to catch up. Not that it would actually help," he stated. Neji glared at him but didn't say anything. "You didn't hear him," Sasuke snorted. "He's couple of years behind, there's no way that he would be able to do it" he argued.

Naruto grabbed Neji's sleeve, pulling him out of the room.

"I'm going to make you eat your words," he shouted at the brunette, who just snickered, evidently more amused than angry. Naruto cursed under his nose, and slammed the doors to Sasuke's room, hoping that at least _this_ would make the asshole mad. It did. Naruto smiled, and returned to his spot.

"So, how bad is it?" he asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"...pretty bad," Neji admitted. "You should ask Hinata to help you as well. We're in different groups, so she might be able to tutor you when I'll be unable to. And you should cram like crazy, he was right about you being behind a good couple of years," he grunted.

Naruto frowned. He was a quick learner but with work and studies, he wouldn't be able to devote to it as much time as he was probably supposed to.

"Let's do it," he answered, forcing a grin on his face. It wasn't the first time when he was in deep shit.

After an hour and a half, Naruto realized that he hated German and that German hated him. At first it was nice and easy. Then Neji started explaining articles, and Naruto was still unsure why would a pen be a male. It made absolutely no sense. Everything in German had a gender.

"But why is car once a he, and other time it's an it?" he exclaimed, rubbing his temples. "Can't I just drop these stupid articles, I mean, everyone will know what I'm talking about-"

"No, you can't," Neji shouted at him. Then he blushed. He wasn't used to showing so much emotion. He did a round of breathe-ins and breathe-outs, trying to calm himself down. Naruto heard doors open, and, soon enough, Sasuke sat next to Neji. He was way too happy.

"What do you want, bastard?" the blonde gritted through his teeth.

"I live in here," he replied, eying some of the notes. "I don't have to want anything to sit by my table," he added. "Maybe I just want to talk with my flatmate," he suggested innocently. Neji looked at him out of corner of his eyes. "Or maybe I just enjoy watching you squirm," Sasuke concluded.

"You're disturbing us," Neji said. The other brunette didn't seem bothered by this.

"You're using my notes, I have the right to see what you're doing with them," he retorted. Naruto glared at both men. He would have to tell Lee to teach Neji some life threatening techniques. The duel between these two would happen rather sooner than later. And he wanted to be certain that his friend would win.

"Then at least try to help," Neji said. The bastard frowned. So did Naruto.

"He won't learn it all," he complained. "The best I could do is to make him barely pass the test," he grunted. "And I don't feel like doing it."

"I've found your wallet yesterday," Naruto pointed out. Passing the test, even barely, seemed like an unreachable dream. Sasuke shot him a blank stare. It appeared that he wasn't interested in returning any favors.

"I'll wash your dishes for a month if he passes," Neji offered. Naruto made a face at him. He was disappointed that even his friend lost faith in him. On the other hand, it seemed that Neji wasn't cut out for tutoring. Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"Washing dishes doesn't take as much time as teaching this moron would," he pointed out. "Make it three months." Neji exhaled loudly. He was pissed off. When Naruto first met him, he was always pissed off. Then he relaxed but it seemed that Sasuke was bringing out the worst in him. Naruto still didn't know why Neji and Tenten didn't live together. Or why Neji and anyone else didn't live together. Anyone would be better than this selfish bastard. "And you will give me back my t-shirt," he added, addressing Naruto.

"You've ruined mine," the blonde protested. Neji kicked him under the table.

"It's already washed, you're free to take it back," Sasuke replied.

"I don't want it back, it's gross," Naruto retorted. He hissed in pain when he was kicked once again, this time harder. The bastard smiled, pretending that he didn't notice anything. "I'll return it after I'll pass," he bargained.

"I can live without one t-shirt but if you won't pass this test, you'll fail the course," Sasuke uttered. "Your choice."

Naruto grumbled, swallowing the curses he wanted to throw at the man.

"Fine," he agreed, resting his head on the table. He raised it when he was poked with something pointy.

"You're allowed to use only German when you speak with me," the brunette said, handing him a dictionary. Naruto rolled his eyes, and flipped through pages.

" _Arschloch_ ," he grunted, refraining himself from smiling. The word had a nice sound to it. It fitted Sasuke's personality.

" _Dummkopf_ ," the brunette replied. Naruto stuck out his tongue at the bastard. He didn't even had to check what it meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here comes part two.
> 
> I don't plan any major drama for this fic. This is something I write when I want to relax. <\--AHAHA HAHA AHAJAHSHAA. Okay, so, there /is/ some drama. I wouldn't call it major but major for me means death and/or serious mutilation, so! Still, I'd call the drama in this fic rather minor. Like, they're going to argue a bit. Nothing new under the sun.
> 
> And I'd like to apologize to any Germans who might be reading this - your language is beautiful. I mean, well, your butterfly sounds as if it wanted to murder something but "unsterblich" is my favorite word ;) it's a nice mix of soft and hard sounds. I really like it.  
> <\--I've been corrected time after time, and then the corrections were corrected to what I've originally written, and at this point I don't care anymore, so, er, if there's something wrong, ignore it. I sure do.


	3. Chapter 3

It was Thursday, and the pub was rather empty - save for little groups who were either sipping their beers in peace or playing pool. It suited Naruto. This way, he could focus on learning. And, somehow, Sasuke was nice enough to actually come and sit by the bar. His teaching methods were weird, and Naruto was glad that he still had Neji and Hinata to help him with the basics. Sasuke seemed to be interested only in what was supposed to appear on the test, and the blonde was certain that he was lacking everything in between.

He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he was polishing glasses. Yahiko would be probably glad to see them squeaky clean for once. He was always complaining that Naruto and Konan were slacking off. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to discipline them for too long. Well, Naruto didn't mind it but for Yahiko it had to be rather problematic. He was Konan's age, and not much older than Naruto; he was still torn between being their friend and their boss.

Sasuke was asking him some questions in a monotone voice, and Naruto was replying in an equally disinterested tone. He preferred Hinata as his tutor - she wasn't getting angry with him. Sasuke was practically growling his corrections, and Neji was giving him a full lecture whenever he messed up. Still, she was the least effective of the three. Even if she was the only one who was actually praising him on making progress. Neji looked as if he had no hope for the future, and Sasuke seemed mostly bored.

"How do you like living with Neji?" the blonde asked, deciding that he was way too bored to describe his hometown. Sasuke tapped his fingers impatiently, and Naruto heaved a heavy sigh. " _Magst du es mit Neji zu wohnen_?" he repeated the question, dumbing it down.

"I don't mind it," the man replied. "Although he has some issues," he mused. "He's angry at me because he thinks I'm borrowing his shampoo," he laughed. "He even sniffed my hair to make sure of it. And then he accused me of perfuming it so he wouldn't be able to find out that I'm using his shampoo," Sasuke chuckled.

Naruto smiled at him. Neji did have some issues. He was obsessed with his hair, and he was constantly afraid that he would go bald because of how long it was. Still, he wasn't willing to cut it. He was just believing in every shitty article on how to avoid a receding hairline. He was importing his hair products, and he wasn't tying it down with a rubber. And he was forcing Tenten to massage his scalp. Tenten didn't really mind it. Naruto shook his head, deciding that Sasuke didn't need to know about any of this.

" _Hast du es getan?"_ he asked. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and poked his empty beer glass. Naruto refilled it, and handed it back to him.

"Once," he admitted. "He didn't caught me in the act though," he snorted. He swallowed a mouthful of beer, and frowned. The blonde glared at him, taunting him to make another shitty comment but the man didn't do it. He just rested his head on the palm of his hand, and stared at the wall adorned with alcohol bottles. "And he thinks I don't know that he reads those astrology magazines," he laughed. "Idiot."

" _Das is nicht sehr nett_ ," Naruto protested.

He felt bad for making fun of Neji for reading horoscopes. The man had checked the compatibility between Cancer and Leo, and he wasn't too happy when he had learned that he and Sasuke were destined to not like one another. Everyone told him that he was being silly. After all, Naruto and Neji had even worse compatibility, and they were good friends. Now it seemed that he had been right.

"But let's go back to the test. You might be asked to describe your last holiday or some family event," Sasuke said.

" _Meine Familie haben gestirbt,"_ Naruto muttered. Sasuke stared at him for the longest time. Then he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Ist _tod,"_ he corrected him.

The blonde frowned. Usually, people would take pity on him, and he hated that. That was why he preferred everyone to know from the very beginning that he was an orphan. People were acting more pitiful the longer they didn't know. The asshole, of course, ignored the whole issue completely.

" _Was_?" he asked, pretending to be stupid.

" _Meine Familie ist tod,_ " Sasuke uttered. At least he looked uncomfortable.

" _Oh, deine auch? Das ist so,"_ he stopped, and flipped through his dictionary, " _zufällig_ _,"_ he concluded. The brunette glared at him hatefully, and Naruto started to wonder whether it wasn't something more than just being uncomfortable. "Shit, it is," he realized, gawking at the man. "Sorry, I thought you were just being an asshole," he blurted out. Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"We're not bonding over dead parents," he decided, breathing out through his nose. Then he rested his head on the bar, and Naruto felt as if _he_ was the asshole. He bit his lip, and prepared a drink for the brunette. "Orange?" he asked, staring at the glass. "Shouldn't it be lemon?"

"It's gold tequila," the blonde explained. "And it's on me" he added. He grabbed the man's hand, and sprinkled some cinnamon on it.

"It looks stupid," he said but licked the spice, downed the glass, and bit the fruit. "Tastes better than your beer," he admitted. Naruto pouted. It wasn't _his_ beer. Some woman sat on a stool next to Sasuke, and Naruto smiled at her, ready to serve her.

"Do you come here often?" she asked. The blonde mentally rolled his eyes, somewhat taken aback by how stupid the pickup line sounded.

"Not interested," the brunette replied without even looking at the woman. He was missing out, she was quite beautiful. She frowned at him, positioning herself more comfortably on the stool. The blonde had to admit that she was also confident. She didn't seem embarrassed at all.

"I was talking to him," she stated in a mocking tone. Sasuke snorted, and turned his head at her.

Naruto kept his smile glued to his face even though he felt as punching the asshole. He _was_ good looking, so implying that her talking to him and not the brooding brunette was impossible, was rather rude.

"You're asking a bartender whether he comes here often?" he questioned. Naruto pursed his lips, realizing that the man was right. The woman glared at Sasuke disdainfully but her lips widened in an inviting smile. "He's not your consolation prize," he muttered. The blonde decided that he was allowed to be angry at the bastard. He was way too smug. And the woman was his patron so he _had_ to be nice to her.

"So?" she pressured. Naruto studied her features. She was probably nice. And she was attractive. Still, he didn't want to be her silver medal. He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and sent her an apologetic grin.

"We're kind of exclusive," he whispered. The woman gaped at both of them but she eventually smiled back, and placed her order. Then she returned to her group of friends, looking somewhat happy. Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't seem happy at all.

"What was that?" he demanded to know in a low voice. Naruto let go off his shoulder, and returned to cleaning up the bar.

" _Du gefallst mich-"_

" _Du gef_ _ä_ _llst mir,"_ Sasuke corrected him absentmindedly, his eyes still locked with Naruto's. The blonde snickered.

" _-nicht_ ," the blonde concluded. German allowed for the ultimate not joke. Naruto felt somewhat sorry for Germans. They had to listen through an entire sentence just to be let down at the end of it. "So don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. You're still a three for me," he smiled. To his surprise, Sasuke chuckled at him. "You have to learn to turn them down gently," he added.

"It's not as effective as you want to believe it to be," the brunette replied. "And I turned down Ino gently. I don't have to do that with everyone."

"Ino was never into you," Naruto protested. "She's cuddly with everyone. And she was super cuddly towards you because she thought you were socially awkward," he said. "I tried to tell her that you're just a regular Scheißerkopf but she is too nice for her own good."

"And how do you know that?" Sasuke questioned. He finished another beer, and Naruto started to wonder how much longer it will take until the man would get wasted. He didn't seem to know his boundaries.

"Well, you're a regular Scheißerkopf because-" he stopped mid-sentence, laughing at Sasuke's expression. "She told me," he replied. The brunette bit the inside of his cheek, looking somewhat distressed. "But she still thinks you're just a troubled kid, so-"

"I'm not a troubled kid," Sasuke objected.

"I know," Naruto stated matter-of-factly. "I've told you she's just really sweet. Sakura's into you, though," he added. He wasn't too glad about it. He had a crush on her since forever. And she always was interested in someone completely unreachable. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in a mute question. "She was sitting next to you during that party," he explained. The brunette still seemed lost. "She was flirting with you?" Naruto suggested. It obviously did not ring a bell for Sasuke. "She has pink hair," he said. He had to notice at least _that_.

"I still don't know what you're talking about," he answered.

"She fell asleep in your bathroom," Naruto revealed. It appeared that Sasuke didn't remember that either. The blonde shook his head. "She will be here on Saturday," he said.

"I'm not coming. And use German," he ordered.

" _Gehst du mit mich aus?"_ he asked. Sasuke smiled at him.

" _Gehst du mit mir aus,"_ the brunette corrected him. Naruto looked away, pretending to be rather disinterested.

" _Ja, warum nicht,"_ he agreed. "Since you're asking me out so nicely."

"That was sneaky," Sasuke snorted. The blonde grinned at him, quite proud of himself. He kind of liked Sasuke when the man was tipsy. "But I've already said that I'm busy."

"At least you're turning me down gently," Naruto mused. "See, you're capable of being nice."

"Nobody ever said I wasn't," the brunette pointed out, straightening his back. Naruto was quite certain that some people would kill for a chance to flirt with the male. He had a hunch that these people would regret that the moment Sasuke would open his mouth. He was way too blunt with words. "Am I still a three?" he asked unexpectedly.

"Maybe a four," the blonde chuckled.

"If I jump one more digit up in your ranking, you won't be able to ask me out anymore," Sasuke pondered with a nasty smirk. "You know what they say, the gap cannot be bigger than three."

"And now you're a two," Naruto sighed, masking a smile. "You're not making any progress," he complained. "And don't worry, I don't plan to ask you out. I've heard that you have a _sweetheart_ ," he laughed.

He was quite certain that sweetheart was the last word Sasuke would use to describe someone he liked. He was quite curious about the person. The brunette didn't strike him as a romantic type. Nor shy. The guy had to be either of ungodly beauty or really smart.

"I don't, Suigetsu's just a friend of mine," Sasuke replied. He read through some of the papers he had asked Naruto to write. "You don't mess up articles as much anymore," he stated, and that was the closest thing to a praise the blonde has ever heard him say.

"I've found a way," he said enigmatically. Sasuke looked at him, a doubt visible in his black eyes. "I'm naming everything accordingly. Like, my pen's name is Uli, and my pencil's Gustav. They're bros now."

"That sounds... unbelievably stupid," the brunette laughed. Naruto grinned at him. He enjoyed making the bastard laugh. It wasn't an easy thing to do so he felt accomplished afterwards. "And it seems counterproductive, now you have to remember even more things."

"I have a good memory for names," the blonde answered.

"Fine," Sasuke said after letting out a heavy sigh. Naruto sent him a questioning look, serving beer to some patrons. The brunette waited until the other men disappeared before continuing. "I will go to the party with you."

"Oh," Naruto mumbled out, his cheeks significantly hotter than just a moment before. "Um, it's probably my fault-" he stammered, collecting his thoughts, "but, just to make sure that we're on the same page - I'm straight."

Sasuke blinked, clearly surprised.

"So you're _not_ asking me out?" he asked, tilting his head. The blonde laughed nervously, looking away. He had no idea that the bastard would treat his poorly hidden innuendos as anything more than a lame attempt at joke.

"We can go as friends," he suggested. Sasuke eyed him. He seemed pissed off. Naruto didn't blame him. He _has_ been trying to flirt with the stubborn asshole all day long. He just never thought that he would be successful. The man seemed just as flirtatious as a block of ice.

"I didn't ask you to fuck me," he growled. Naruto frantically nodded his head, wondering how in the hell he would save his sorry ass. The bastard probably has never been rejected before. And there was no way to turn him down gently now. The blonde gulped.

"I will go out with you," he said. The black eyes narrowed, so Naruto cleared his throat, and tried again. "I mean - will you go out with me?"

"...fine," Sasuke muttered. "I'm still tutoring you on Sunday," he added, getting up from the stool. "So don't get wasted," he ordered, and left the pub without even waving goodbye.

* * *

 

Sasuke knocked on the bathroom doors. Neji was pissing him off _a lot_. The man was taking like three showers a day, and each of these lasted at least one hour. He was certain that he would never agree to splitting the water bill evenly. If he was to not shower at all, the bill would be probably just as atrociously high.

"Fucking leave already," he growled. He had hoped that living with just one person would solve the problem of constantly occupied bathroom. It seemed that Neji was making up for at least five more people. The shower stopped, and suddenly the doors were thrown open. Sasuke massaged his forehead, trying to stop himself from re-enacting the Psycho scene.

"I just got in, what's your fucking problem?!" Neji shouted at him, his hair covered in foam, his body still wet and covered only with a towel. Fortunately for Sasuke, he looked ridiculous.

"It was forty minutes already," he yelled back. The other brunette combed his hair with his hand. Then he stared at it and frowned when he saw that one loose hair stuck to his thumb. Sasuke screamed internally. He was supposed to see Itachi in thirty minutes. "You're walking out _now_ ," he hissed, and barged into the bathroom. Neji didn't budge from his spot, so Sasuke started to take off his pajama to let the man know that he wasn't joking. "I mean it, go rinse your hair in kitchen sink," he barked, closing the shower doors behind himself.

Neji was still gaping at him with his creepy pale eyes.

"Do you really think that you will scare me away by showing me your dick?" he asked in a flat voice, and Sasuke had to refrain himself from throwing something at the bastard. "I've seen bigger," he said, sitting on the closed toilet. Sasuke wondered how long it would take to find himself a new flatmate. One, that wouldn't be crazy. He turned his back at the man, and washed himself quickly.

"I need to piss," he grunted after leaving the shower cabin.

"I don't care," Neji retorted. Sasuke counted to one hundred.

"I'll use the kitchen sink if you don't walk away now," he threatened. The other male gasped in utter disgust, and left the room, slamming the doors behind himself. Sasuke rolled his eyes at that display of childish behavior. Everyone in this town seemed absolutely insane.

And his brother was going to see him. He loved Itachi - even though they were both raised by their aunt, he was always thinking of his older brother as a parent figure. His aunt tried really hard but she was usually too busy working, so Itachi ended up coming to Sasuke's parent-teacher conferences. And he was the one, who helped Sasuke with his homework. Or with anything else, for that matter. Sasuke has always felt rather guilty because of this - Itachi was only five years older than him. And he was still acting as if he was Sasuke's father, and not his brother.

He left the bathroom, dressed up, and went outside, glancing quickly at Neji, who decided to ruin their couch with residues of foam. Sasuke had no idea how such a perfectly reasonable woman like Tenten ever agreed to date a prick like him. Taking Neji's weird hobbies into account, it was probably dark magic. He just hoped that the man wasn't collecting his hair from the shower drain to make some curse doll.

However, a curse would explain what was happening in his life. The first person he has felt attracted to since high school was straight. It wasn't a crush or anything more serious but - still - it was rather disappointing. Especially since he believed Naruto to be at least bisexual. And it was the moron's fault, too. His smile was disarming. He was funny in a quite stupid but nonetheless charming way. He seemed nice and looked like a generic blond guy everyone wanted to fuck. He was tanned, athletic, and had blue eyes. Sasuke cursed under his breath, finally arriving to the restaurant in which he was supposed to meet his brother.

Itachi worked abroad and could visit him only once every couple of months. Sasuke would be lying if he was to say that he didn't miss his older brother.

"You're late," Itachi said, smiling at him. "And your hair is wet. You'll get sick."

"I'm an adult," Sasuke muttered. Somehow, Itachi made him feel as if he was fourteen again. "How was your trip?" he asked, ordering a coffee and a bagel. He hasn't been even able to eat breakfast.

They shared their news. Itachi was asking him about the school and his new flatmate. He also wanted to know how Suigetsu and Juugo were doing. It was nice. Sasuke refrained himself from complaining, and presented Neji as if he was the best human being in existence. He knew what Itachi wanted to hear, and he was willing to give him that. After all the trouble he had caused him when he was still in high school, he deserved to believe that Sasuke was happy.

* * *

 

At first, Naruto was nervous that Sasuke would act in a way that would make him feel uncomfortable. The man might have not been his date in the full definition of the word but the blonde was still feeling as if he was. He could feel his heart in his throat, afraid that if he was to make one false move, the brunette would exact his revenge. And he almost swallowed the said heart when Sasuke had arrived to the pub. He looked impeccable. For a short while Naruto was almost proud that the bastard was his date. And he was more than happy that the man seemed completely uninterested in women.

Then, he became surprised because Sasuke greeted him and the rest of the group, and disappeared in the crowd. Naruto felt as if he wasn't even taking part in their outing. Which was a shame. His study group and his friends were having fun together. Sakura and Ino got on like a house on fire. At first they were eying one another - Sakura was jealous that Sasuke allowed Ino to hug himself, and Ino didn't miss the ugly look she'd given her. But, soon enough, they became friendly with one another. The bastard wasn't there to ruin it.

"Sasuke's awfully cuddly today, isn't he," Ino hiccupped, pointing at someplace behind Naruto's back. The blonde turned his head to see his, well, date groping another man.

"Fuck, and I was wondering why he didn't pay any attention to me," Sakura agreed happily. "They look kind of hot together," she added, burying her head in Ino's breasts. The blond woman laughed, combing Sakura's pink locks with her fingers. They were both already hammered and giddy. So was the rest of the group. Only Neji was glaring daggers at Kiba who dared to speak to Hinata.

"He _is_ awfully cuddly today," Naruto agreed. It didn't seem right. He got up and approached two men, feeling rather embarrassed. "Um, hi, I'm Sasuke's friend," he mumbled out. They finally stopped eating one another's faces, and Sasuke even turned his head towards him. "Can we talk?" he asked. The brunette chuckled for no reason at all, and allowed Naruto to lead him out of the pub.

The cold air didn't make him more sober. It did make him embrace the blonde though. Naruto gulped, and patted the man on his back. He was completely wasted. Much more than the first time he had seen him. And, taking into consideration the fact that he had had a total blackout, he expected him to have one again.

"Wha-, are you jealous?" Sasuke asked, draping himself over Naruto's shoulders. He smelled like booze.

"Sasuke, I could walk you home if you want me to," the blonde offered. "You're drunk."

"I can still drink," the brunette disagreed. Naruto took a step back, doing his best at making the asshole stand straight.

"If I'll leave you alone, that guy will fuck you," he protested, sitting on a curb, and pulling the man with him. "Look, we will go back to the pub, you will sit with us, I'll finish my beer, and walk you home. How does that sound?"

"Maybe I want to be fucked," Sasuke whined. The blonde heaved a heavy sigh. "Or maybe I don't," he burped. Naruto chuckled.

"You're a mess," he stated, and placed the brunette on the curb next to him.

He stood up and pulled him up, and lead him to their lounge. Ino moved to another couch to make place for them both. Sasuke slumped on it as if he was a bag of potatoes. No grace at all. Naruto sat near him, and put his arm over his shoulder, making sure that the bastard wouldn't run away.

"He's going to throw up all day long again," Neji complained. Then he frowned because Sasuke somehow managed to show him the middle finger. Even if he did fall face first into Naruto's stomach. He wasn't even able to sit straight.

"I believe you've stolen my friend," the man from before said, leaning over Naruto. He seemed pissed off. The blonde was equally angry. Sasuke was clearly in no shape to make any decisions.

"We're kind of exclusive," the brunette muttered into Naruto's shirt. The guy leaned closer. Apparently, he didn't hear him. Or he didn't want to hear him.

"Get lost," the blonde said. The guy shot him a hateful stare but left. Probably the fact that Kiba already stood up ready to fight him helped.

"I was trying to turn him down gently," Sasuke murmured sleepily. _"Dummkopf."_

"It's not as effective," Naruto replied, letting out a tired sigh. He didn't feel like leaving the party yet but what had to be done, had to be done. " _Arschloch_ ," he whispered, deciding to humor the bastard.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke shifted in his sleep, feeling strangely uncomfortable. His back hurt, and his right arm was numb. He grunted in discontent when he realized that the arm was trapped under something heavy. And warm. He blinked, adjusting his eyes to darkness. It was quiet save for some random snores that were escaping Naruto's lips. Sasuke frowned, and pulled his right hand from under the idiot. He looked around. He knew he wasn't home but he never expected to find himself still in the pub. He had a headache, his mouth was dry, and he felt sick. Naruto had some glitter in his hair. And he sported a perfectly drawn winged eyeliner. Sasuke rubbed his cheek, trying to remember if the moron came like this to the party. Probably not. It could've happened later on though. Sasuke didn't remember the majority of the evening. 

He almost shook the moron awake but he noticed that the man had an oddly colored stain on his stomach, just where Sasuke's head had been lying. He cursed under his breath, and wiped his face. He felt something crackly near his lips. Of-fucking-course. He tried to force his stomach to calm down but it was ineffective, so he got up and marched towards the bathroom. 

There was nobody else in the pub, and it appeared that it was already cleaned up. Even the toilets were squeaky clean. Sasuke definitely appreciated that since he had to lean his head quite close to them. He left the stall, approached the sinks, and washed his mouth, drinking some of the water from his hand. It tasted awful. He got back to where Naruto was lying, and poked his face. The blonde didn't wake up. 

"Naruto," he muttered, pulling the man's arm. He wanted to get out from this place.  

"What," Naruto asked in a sleepy tone. He rubbed his eyelids, smudging the eyeliner all over his face. 

"Why are we still in the pub?" Sasuke questioned calmly. There had to be an explanation for it. And there had to be an explanation for why he's ended up with Naruto even though he's been actively avoiding him throughout the evening. 

"We aren't in the pub, I've walked you home," the blonde said stupidly. He still didn't open his eyes. He lied on his side, curling his legs, so he would fit on the sofa. He kicked Sasuke in the process but he didn't seem to notice it. The brunette pinched the other male's ankle, enjoying the angry grunt he was responded with. "Go to sleep, jeez," Naruto complained. 

"So you're saying that I'm home," Sasuke stated. The blonde answered with an affirmative noise. "Well, look around you, you dumbfuck, and tell me I'm home again," he growled, and pulled Naruto's arm. The man tried to fight him back but he wasn't able to do it without opening his eyes. And then his face lit up in sudden realization. 

"Why are we in the pub?" Naruto asked, clearly dumbfounded. "And where are the others?" 

"Are you certain you've walked me home?" Sasuke inquired, deciding that he would leave the "why would you walk me home" part for later. 

"Well... I wanted to. I guess I had to doze off. But why are we alone?" 

Naruto sat up, combing his hair with hand. He looked like a complete mess. Then he noticed the state of his hoodie. 

"You threw up on me _again_ ," he complained, taking it off. He had a grey t-shirt underneath. "God, you're so fucking gross," he whined, tossing the hoodie on another sofa. He took out his cellphone. "It's already 9 am," he mused. "And I have like a hundred of facebook notifications," he added in a terrified voice. He waited for the app to load, and it felt like ages. Sasuke crossed his arms. He didn't care about Naruto's social life. 

"I want to go home," he said. The blonde side-eyed him. 

"I don't have keys, we'll have to wait for Konan," he replied. "Oh great," he muttered. "We're now the background photo of our study group," he said, and practically shoved the phone into Sasuke's face. The brunette glanced at the picture. It was him and Naruto. He was lying on the blonde's stomach, and the moron had his arm resting on Sasuke's waist. Nothing too scandalous. Sasuke raised his eyebrow at Naruto in a mute question. "Hell, there are more... Oh, I see. God, now I think that Neji's even a bigger dick than you're-" 

"Neji also wasn't impressed by my level of dickery," Sasuke answered, chuckling. It was ridiculous. Once again it was proven to him that he should never change his mind. He could've been home with no hangover.  

"I understand why he would agree to leaving you here but me? What have I ever done to him?" the blonde complained. 

"I don't know, he's passive aggressive. Sometimes, I wish he hust called me a dick and moved on with his life.  Really, stacking my dirty dishes isn't even half as effective as telling me to just wash them would be," Sasuke muttered. 

"You're just a shitty flatmate. Own up to it," Naruto retorted. Sasuke frowned. He wasn't a shitty flatmate. He was pretty reasonable. 

"How would you know that?" he asked. His head was killing him. He lied on the other sofa, using the blonde's sweatshirt as a pillow. He needed a shower anyway. 

"Neji has been telling some stories," the moron laughed. "But I guess he does get annoyed for no reason. Although, I think he's trying. Back in the high school he used to be quite a bully, and, well, believe me that he could do something much worse than stacking your dirty dishes." 

"Like what?" Sasuke questioned. Somehow, it was hard to believe. His flatmate was irritating as hell but he didn't strike him as someone who would harass others. 

"He used to make Hinata cry all the time," the blonde muttered. Sasuke snorted. The guy was overprotective of Hinata. He must had had quite a change of heart. "And he would always fight with Lee... And some younger kids were genuinely scared of him," Naruto started enumerating. "And, one time, we beat the living shit out of another." 

"He doesn't seem too strong," the brunette pointed out. 

"He fights dirty," Naruto mumbled out. Sasuke tilted his head at the blonde, who nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Yeah, the memory is still pretty fresh," he mused. "But, you know, he kind of had his reasons. It's still inexcusable but... I don't know, I actually felt sorry for him. He lost his dad in a plane crash, and his and Hinata's fathers were twins, who worked together, and that time it should had been Hinata's dad in there... It's pretty rough and complicated," Naruto sighed. "We're all orphans here," he sneered. "So you could wash your damn dishes every once in a while," he concluded. 

"What happened yesterday?" Sasuke asked after a longer pause. He didn't want to dwell on Neji's past. The man was a difficult person to be around, and Sasuke was sure that no amount of good will would ever change that. "Why am I here?" 

"I knew you wouldn't remember," Naruto scoffed. "You were hammered, got friendly with some guy, who was hitting on you _hard_ , and I saved you-" 

"So I could've woken up next to a stud but I ended up with you," the brunette said. He wasn't really angry. He even preferred to wake up like that than with some random guy. Still, the idiot didn't have to know about it. 

"He might have been a stud but he seemed rather mean. You can do better than that," Naruto retorted. "You should find yourself someone nice, who would be willing to talk with you after they fuck you," he said. 

"I didn't ask you for a relationship advice," Sasuke complained. "And you should stop messing with other people's lives," he lectured. 

"Just for the record - I've asked you if you really wanted to hook up with that guy, and you've said no. And you've turned him down yourself. See, your drunken self is smarter than the sober one," the blonde muttered. "I'm cold," he whined, hugging himself. 

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, took off his sweater, and tossed it to Naruto. The man gasped in surprise when it hit him in the face. Then he grabbed it in his hands and lifted it, studying it. 

"What about you?" he asked, uncertainty audible in his voice. 

"I'll manage," Sasuke answered. He had to admit that it _was_ cold in there. "When will Konan come?" 

"In three hours," the blonde replied. "We could go back to sleep, I guess. It was pretty stupid of them to lock us up like this," he murmured, putting on the sweater. "You're not sick or anything, right?" 

"I'm rather healthy," Sasuke informed him. Naruto smiled to him with relief. "Although I do feel sick," he snorted, getting up from the sofa. It seemed that he would have to suffer in an unfamiliar setting. Having the moron nearby was oddly comforting. 

* * *

 

Naruto waited for Sasuke to return, scrolling through photos on his phone. It seemed that everyone had a rather good time. His eyes widened when he saw a picture of Ino and Sakura drawing something on his face. He relaxed when he realized that it was just some eye make-up and not something stupid. The next one was of Lee, who had sprinkled some sparkly glitter all over the group. Naruto remembered the glitter - it was ordered for the end of the summer party. It seemed that some was left. There was even a photo of Konan posing with rest of the women.  

The blonde squinted his eyes. Ino and Sakura must had really hit off with one another. They were hugging on every single picture, and it seemed that they had been inseparable throughout the evening. 

"You are a cockblocker," Sasuke muttered after returning from the lavatories. Naruto raised an eyebrow at him in a mute question. "That guy sent me a text. He was complaining that I didn't tell him I had a boyfriend." 

"You've implied to him that I was your boyfriend," the blonde retorted. "I've just called you my friend and told him to get lost." 

Sasuke glared at him, evidently not believing in even one word. 

"Besides, you should delete that guy's number and forget about him. He was willing to fuck you when you couldn't even sit straight," he complained. The brunette frowned. 

"I didn't expect him to cuddle with me," Sasuke growled. "And I don't know what gives you the idea that I would be the one who gets fucked," he added, crossing his arms. 

"Yeah, I would love to see you fuck him," Naruto snorted. The bastard raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't mean it like _that_ , jeez. It's just... you were _really_ unable to sit straight. Or stand straight. Or walk straight. Or do anything. You were so hammered you probably wouldn't be even able to get a hard-on," he mused. 

"And now you question my potency. Do you actually want me to prove you wrong?" Sasuke inquired, smirking nastily. The blonde shook his head. He was pretty much done with questioning his sexuality. And at the moment bastard wasn’t even worth it.  

"Nah, I'm good," he replied. The brunette cocked one eye at him in a mocking manner. It might've ooked endearing if it wasn't for his tired face and dirty hair. "Sasuke..." 

"Yeah?" the man grunted, as if hurrying him up. His voice was hoarse. His throat had to hurt like a bitch. The blonde wasn't prone to hangovers, so he had a weird respect for those, who kept on drinking despite knowing that they would be suffering a severe punishment on the next day. Naruto lied more comfortably on the sofa, hiding his phone into his jeans pocket. 

"I've heard gay guys are best at giving blowjobs," he said. "Any opinions on that?" he asked. The brunette shook his head, snickering. 

"I've never had a straight guy give me one so I wouldn't know," he replied. "You may test yourself if you want to, of course," he added. Naruto shot him an ugly look, and the man stopped laughing. "From my experience - yes, but I've had just one female partner, and it was still in high school, so comparing her with others doesn't seem fair," he grunted, rubbing his forehead. "It was a generally disappointing experience. I couldn't understand what was the fuss all about," he added. 

"Poor girl," Naruto said. He noticed that the bastard had goose bumps on his arms, so he took off the man's sweater, and tossed it to him. Sasuke eyed him. "You're cold," the blonde pointed out. 

"You too," the male replied, and tossed the sweater back. "And I'm the reason why you're cold, so..." 

"I can't just wear your sweater and watch you freeze to death," the blonde complained, once again throwing the garment to Sasuke, who didn't bother with catching it. "You're more of an asshole, so I guess you won't care as much," he joked. 

The brunette frowned at that. 

"You do realize that I'm not, right?" he questioned. "I might not be the fuzziest person in existence but when I do make the effort of being nice, I at least  don't expect to be patted on the head for it. Unlike certain blond idiot, who wants to be praised whenever he does something even half decent," he muttered. 

Naruto pouted, ready to disagree with the self-entitled bastard. Unfortunately, Sasuke decided to change topic. 

"How would you describe that guy from yesterday?" he asked, staring at his phone screen.  

"Tall, thin, long black hair tied in a ponytail," he replied. "Somewhat creepy," he added. "I think he's like 30." 

Sasuke tapped his cell, smiling under his nose. 

"He invited me for a coffee," he said, looking happy for no reason at all. The blonde frowned, ready to yell _stranger danger_. He didn't like that guy and everything he stood for. "I've told him you were just my overprotective straight friend, and he asked if I wanted to meet him." 

"So now you're asking me for a relationship advice? Keep away from him," Naruto grunted. 

"No, I just wanted to point out that he might be interested in something more than sex," the brunette muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And I can do whatever I want." 

Naruto rolled his eyes. The bastard was totally irresponsible. And he couldn't see why the creeper would want to see Sasuke for anything else than sex. It didn't seem as if the two men did a lot of talking on the day before. 

"I can go with you," he offered. He knew that arguing  that the guy was bad news would be met with a stupid resistance. "Hinata has asked me out some time ago, we could make it into a double date." 

The brunette snorted when he heard Naruto's suggestion. 

"You've done enough cockblocking," he laughed. "Besides, that's not very nice to Hinata. Although, I had no idea she had hots for you. You like girls like that? Shy, cute little maidens with crazy cousins who are willing to castrate you for even trying to talk to them?" 

The blonde frowned. He preferred Sakura but she's friendzoned him a long time ago, and it seemed that there was no way to escape that so he accepted it. And he probably should finally move on. 

"I'm putting my junk on the line because that guy creeps me out," he sneered. "You should be grateful." 

"And here you go again... _I'm being nice, notice it_. There's nothing nice about it. I didn't ask for your help, and I don't want it," Sasuke hissed. "So you can keep your junk." 

Naruto rolled his eyes. He hated himself for letting the brunette look for new friends. He should had known that bastard would end up with someone awful. 

"At least give me your number," he uttered. "And let me know when you'll get back home," he added. He felt ridiculous. He shouldn't be worrying about a grown ass man like that. 

"Fine," Sasuke agreed, trying hard to suppress a chuckle. "You won't give me a curfew, right?" he snorted. Naruto cocked one eye at him, sending him a faint smile. He would've loved to set the bastard a curfew. And to tell him to not drink too much. And to not talk to strangers ever again. Sasuke's taste in people was clearly messed up. Naruto didn't do any of this only because he knew it would be pointless. 

* * *

 

Sasuke turned his head to the left, glaring at the moron. The blonde decided to sit next to him during their Monday lecture, and that in itself wouldn't be too bad but it seemed that the man wasn't physically able to sit on his ass and do nothing for more than ten minutes.  

The professor, Hatake Kakashi, played some boring movie, and the majority of the students was dozing off. Sasuke didn't blame them. Even he had trouble focusing on the movie. It was a really old one. It was black and white, mute, and, what was probably the worst, there wasn't even music in it. The protagonist had a questionable taste in pants, and spent a good couple of minutes working on some machine, which looked like a clock. It was rather confusing. 

"Sasuke," the blonde whispered, trying to get his attention.  

"What?" he asked, hoping that the moron would say something that would make the movie bearable. It was possible that the movie in itself wasn't as bad but the lack of sound was awful. 

"I and Kiba are sneaking out from here. Want to come with us?" he asked. Sasuke glared at him. Naruto was an easy-going friend. He kept asking Sasuke out, and wasn't getting annoyed whenever Sasuke said no. Naruto was able to argue with the brunette during classes, and to hang out with him immediately after they were over. And he was making pretty good progress with his German. Not that Sasuke would ever admit it aloud. At the beginning of his tutorship, he was certain that he would hate it but he ended up looking forward to it. Naruto was fun to be around. 

"No," Sasuke replied, noting an unhappy frown on the blonde's face. Knowing that the man was disappointed felt nice.  

"Come on," he pleaded. "What, are you trying for a scholarship?" the blonde asked. Sasuke glanced at him. He didn't like talking about his goals. He would feel like shit if he wouldn't be able to get it, and to have someone else know about his failure would be a nightmare come true. Naruto stared at him, narrowing his eyes. "Dear gods, my friend is a huge nerd," he gasped in mock terror. 

"Friend?" Sasuke repeated the word. They knew each other for less than two weeks. He would've never used the word - not out loud at least. 

"We've slept together twice. If we won't call one another a friend, it will be awkward," he snickered, grinning like a madman. "Which reminds me - how are you and your creeper?" 

Sasuke snorted, shaking his head. He hasn't met with Orochimaru yet. He had been tutoring the moron on Sunday, and it seemed that the man was busy during the work week. Sasuke wasn't surprised - Orochimaru was doing his doctorate in the biology department, and didn't exactly have time to hang out with students. He did have time to text, though. 

"We're doing just fine," he sneered at the blonde. "How are you and Hinata?" he asked more out of politeness than curiosity. 

"I've asked her out and she's agreed," the blonde whispered back. Sasuke frowned at that. While he had accepted the fact that the blonde was beyond his grasp, he still didn't like the idea of Naruto dating Neji's sweet cousin. He should have been given some time to cool off. 

After all, Naruto was the reason he considered hooking up with Orochimaru. The man was nothing like the moron, and that was the most endearing quality of his. That, and the fact that he was almost like a teacher, and while Sasuke had missed out on the whole student/teacher drama, he was willing to check what was so fascinating about it. He heaved a heavy sigh. 

The blonde was way too touchy. And smelled too nice. The worst thing was that some people were claiming that he and Naruto were dating. The moron didn't seem to care, his grabby hands always near Sasuke's arm or, for some strange reason, hair. In the last two days alone the brunette's been patted on his head countless times. 

"Congratulations," he said, trying to sound disinterested. "Now Neji will hate you too." 

Neji's calmed down a little bit. It had probably something to do with the fact that Tenten was practically living with them. She was nice but she was also a screamer. And while Sasuke  was finding it amusing for the first three times, it became tiresome soon after. And he didn't want to spend his nights wondering how exactly Neji made her scream. 

"Yeah, he doesn't know about anything," Naruto laughed nervously. "And it's nothing serious yet so don't tell him," he pleaded.  

"Sure," Sasuke agreed automatically. He flinched in surprise, when the blonde leaned really close to him, his hot breath brushing against his neck. He shied away from him but Naruto caught his arm, and stopped him mid-motion. 

"I think she might _really_ like me," he murmured, sounding panicked. Sasuke turned his head to him. Their faces were uncomfortably close. If he would move just four inches forward, their lips would connect. He gulped, trying to focus on what was Naruto saying. 

"Is it something bad?" he asked.  

"I don't like her like that. Not yet at least," the blonde whined. "I thought it would be just a regular date but I think she has some expectations now. And she was _so_  happy when I've asked her out. Like, really happy. And I think Kiba will hate me when he learns about it," he blabbered. 

"Tell her there's someone else," Sasuke suggested. He licked his lips, cursing the idiot for being so comfortable with him. 

" _I_   have asked her out. It wouldn't make sense," Naruto complained, getting even closer to the brunette. Sasuke turned his head away, staring at the screen, and trying to watch the movie. He could still feel the blonde's breath on the nape of his neck.  

"Tell her you were sure it wouldn't work out but in the end it did," he blurted out. He didn''t even make sense. He hoped that Naruto wouldn't call him out on that. 

"I can't see you getting any scholarship soon," the blonde chuckled warmly, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "You may pretend all you want but deep down there you're an idiot just like everyone else," he mused. "Whoa, this movie got much creepier while I wasn't watching," he pondered, staring at the havoc that was ensuing on the screen.  

"Tell Kiba you're staying here," Sasuke said, forgetting to get angry about being called an idiot. He also didn't inform the moron about the fact that he wasn't too new to the scholarships. He had finished two majors simultaneously, and he had graduated at the top of his year in both cases. He majored in English with Suigetsu and Juugo, and in Economics with Karin. He wasn't too fond of sciences but he understood it just fine. 

"I have to go to work after the lecture," the blonde said. "I want to unwind." 

"You're working as a bartender," Sasuke pointed out. Naruto huffed in annoyance. 

"Working in gastronomy sucks, you know," he replied in a hushed voice. "And my boss is a dick. He didn't like the fact that we were left in the pub unattended." 

"Because it's illegal," the brunette muttered. "But don't worry, I'm not suing. Unless you are," he whispered, happy that he made Naruto snort. The blonde took out his phone, and finally raised his head from Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke wasn't certain whether he was more relieved or disappointed. 

"I have to go," he said, and got up from his place. Hatake Kakashi was known for not caring whether students actually came to his lectures or not. He never made any problems with taking an exam. However, he did remember who bothered to come. And he asked his questions accordingly. Sasuke looked after the moron, who practically jumped out from the room. For a short moment he regretted not accepting the invitation. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, guys, guys. There are no disturbing tags on this fic and there won't be.


	5. Chapter 5

It was Tuesday, and Naruto was on one of the most awkward dates of his life. Hinata told him that she was glad he's finally noticed her, and Naruto immediately replied that he always noticed her. It wasn't entirely true but he didn't want to say something insensitive. It turned out that, apart from German, he would also need Sasuke to teach him some of his assholish ways. Because now Hinata was blushing like a peony, and Naruto was certain that she had some sort of crush on him. He wondered whether Sakura felt just as awkward around him. He made a mental note to apologize to her.

It wasn't even supposed to be a date. Hinata should've been just tutoring him but when he came to her apartment, she was all dressed up. He told her she looked nice, and that was probably another mistake. She asked him whether he preferred her in clothes like the ones she was wearing - a pastel, flowy dress with some cute ornament. Naruto shrugged his arms, letting her know that she looked just as good in her usual jeans and t-shirts. That didn't end well. Hinata became too flustered to even speak to him, and Naruto realized that they wouldn't get anything done. So he asked her out instead.

And she knew way too many things about him. Things they have never talked about. Things, he has never talked about with anyone.

"I was always watching you," she confessed. Her smile was hopeful and sincere. What she has said was terrifying. He was in a desperate need of an adult. Unfortunately, he was quite certain that if he was to tell anyone that Hinata was freaking him out, they would laugh at him. She was cute and shy. And half his size. No-one in their right mind would see her as a threat.

"That's great," he replied. He _didn't_ think it was great. His words encouraged her to tell him more. Apparently, she saw him visit his biological parents graves. Multiple times. She knew where he was heading in the middle of the night, and she knew how his old room looked like. She even commented that she liked it best when the walls were light green. She's never been in there. Some of his friends had but Naruto couldn't imagine her ask other people about his room.

The blonde took out his phone, trying to be as discreet about it as it was possible. He knew just one person paranoid enough to actually believe him.

 _She freaks me out_ , he typed, and sent the text to Sasuke. He tapped his knee in nervous anticipation.

"I fell in love with you when you defended me against Neji," she whispered, looking away. "And from that moment on I decided to follow you," she added. Naruto gulped. Neji did complain about Hinata deciding to do her MA on the same university Naruto wanted to, but Naruto always believed that it was just a lucky coincidence. Neji followed Hinata, and Lee and Tenten followed Neji. Naruto followed Sakura. It seemed that she was the only normal person in the group.

 _Ditch her_ , said the text from Sasuke. Naruto shifted in his seat, feeling embarrassed. He was afraid of Hinata. He didn't know how she would react to him ditching her.

"That's really nice," he answered with a strained laugh.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a sweet voice. "I thought you would like this place, they serve ramen almost identical to Ichiraku's," she murmured. Naruto shook his head. He wondered if she was actively searching for a place like this before.

"You really care," he stated, deciding that humoring her would be the safest way to go.

 _I can't ditch her, she REALLY freaks me out,_ he wrote to Sasuke. Naruto hoped that the man would get the hint and offer to somehow fix the situation on his own. He would be beyond ashamed if he had to ask the bastard to come and save him.

"I always cared," Hinata agreed. "And look, we're finally here. _You_ taught me to never give up."

"Did I?" Naruto asked, forcing a chuckle. He shivered, when she reached for his hand. Hinata was rubbing circles with her thumb. She seemed so small. And yet Naruto could swear that he has never felt as intimidated by someone. His phone vibrated.

 _Where are you_ , Sasuke asked him. Naruto quickly typed in the address, and hit send. He hoped the bastard would come soon.

He had to wait for him for another thirty minutes. Hinata wanted to go somewhere else - it seemed that she had found a great botanical garden she knew he would like. Naruto hated the fact that she _knew_. He declined, saying that the restaurant was really great and that he wanted to eat a cake. Hinata didn't protest - even if she did suggest a place that would suit his taste better.

Finally, the brunette showed up. He approached their table, and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Pay for yourself, we're leaving," he muttered. Hinata sent him a surprised stare. Naruto took out some money from his wallet, and left it on the table. Then he allowed Sasuke to lead him out. He could hear Hinata's confused cries but she couldn't follow them immediately - she had to wait for the waiter to pay. They used that to their advantage, getting as far away from there as it was possible.

"Thanks," Naruto whispered, when they were already in the park. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing.

"What is wrong with her?" he asked, slumping on a bench. Naruto looked away, feeling embarrassed. He's just ran away from a girl. "So?" Sasuke hurried him up.

"I think she's a stalker," the blonde replied, sitting next to him. "She knows things she shouldn't," he grunted.

"That sucks," Sasuke agreed. "Does she know something _bad_? Can she use it against you?" he questioned. Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"No, it's just some personal stuff," he muttered. Sasuke patted him on the knee, and Naruto could feel his body relax. He was alerted for the last two hours. He placed his hand on top of Sasuke's, and squeezed it. The brunette hesitated but eventually returned the gesture.

"Did you tell her that she freaks you out?" he inquired. His fingers intertwined with Naruto's. They were long and somewhat rough in touch. He probably should be using some cream. Sakura was always complaining that cold air ruined her skin. It seemed that Sasuke had a similar problem.

"No, I've been nice to her," he replied. The brunette clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

"Then stop being nice to her. Tell her it's over," he commanded. "I'm going to tell Neji that his cousin has some issues, and maybe she will leave you alone," he stated. Naruto side-eyed him. Hinata was his friend. She belonged to his group of friends. And Naruto was certain that she didn't have any other.

"Don't tell Neji," he pleaded. "I'll try to fix this on my own."

"Just like you've fixed it now? You know you could've done what I did on your own, right? The only difference would be my presence or lack of it," Sasuke pointed out. "Stop pitying her," he hissed. "She's an adult and you're not responsible for her problems."

"It's not so easy," he protested. Sasuke glared at him. He lifted their connected hands for Naruto to see.

"You're confusing," he muttered. "You're either straight and distressed or not straight and not distressed," he whined, resting their hands on Naruto's knee again. The blonde sighed. He _was_ distressed. Still, he knew Hinata's intentions weren't bad. Crushing her dreams seemed unnecessarily cruel. He should turn her down gently. She _has_ devoted a considerable part of her life to him. Going soft on her seemed only fair.

* * *

Sasuke was at his seminar, trying to force himself to care. It was Wednesday, and he was supposed to go to the pub after his classes, so he could tutor the moron some more. They had the test on Friday, and there was a faint chance that Naruto would actually pass it. He was quite proud of himself. And surprised by how quick of a learner Naruto was.

Ino was sitting next to him, bored to death. She was yawning every now and then, and she wasn't even trying to hide it. She and Sasuke were writing a thesis on linguistics. Naruto claimed it was boring but Sasuke disagreed. Technical issues of language were far more interesting than literature.

Ino approached him after they were dismissed. She smiled at him, wrapping her arm around Sasuke's. Sasuke didn't mind it but he didn't enjoy it either.

"How is your sweetheart?" she asked. The brunette frowned. He had never expected that he would have to continue his fake story.

"He's straight," he said. Ino cooed at him.

"Maybe he doesn't know it yet," she suggested, marching next to him. "Or he's closeted."

"That doesn't seem to be the case," Sasuke replied.

Naruto's behavior bothered him. He didn't _act_ straight, however stupid it might've sounded. Straight dudes weren't supposed to be so touchy with other men. Or flirty. They were supposed to be like that with women. Sasuke never would've guessed that such behavior would upset him but he felt like a fraud whenever he returned Naruto's platonic gestures. They weren't so platonic to him. And last night he jacked off to him. He blamed Tenten. She was way too loud. And she had him thinking about sex on every single night.

Orochimaru and he hit off quite nicely but there was no lust on Sasuke's side. The man was brilliant, and made Sasuke regret not studying biology. His voice, on the other hand, made Sasuke regret he was able to hear. He's never heard something even half as creepy as Orochimaru's voice. The man seemed somewhat disappointed by the development but he didn't press the matter any further. He stopped texting Sasuke but he kept replying to his e-mails. And he invited Sasuke to some biological conference as his translator. And they were still supposed to meet for a coffee.

"Sorry to hear that," Ino mumbled out. She looked as if she wanted to say something more but Shikamaru and Chouji told her to hurry up, so she bid Sasuke goodbye, and left his side. He didn't mind her. She seemed nice enough, and wasn't too pushy. Unlike certain other blue-eyed blonde. Sasuke decided that he would have to start to avoid him after the tutoring would end. They were spending too much time together.

* * *

"You're here," the moron exclaimed. Sasuke frowned. " _Du bist da_ ," he muttered.

"You're very observant," he replied. Naruto rolled his eyes at him. "How are you and Hinata doing?" he asked. He was slightly worried. The woman didn't seem dangerous but Sasuke wasn't going to judge people by their appearance. After all, she did manage to make the buff blonde panic.

" _Sie ist._.. _beunruhigt,_ " he mumbled out. He still had some vocabulary problems but he was faring much better than Sasuke would had ever anticipated him to. " _Sie hat mit mir telefoniert und sagte, dass wir uns treffen sollen._ "

"So, did you agree to meet her?" Sasuke questioned, sitting on the stool in front of the bar.

" _Ja... sie weiß nicht, dass ich sie echt gruselig finde,_ " he said, forcing a chuckle. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. He guessed Naruto wasn't used to being afraid of girls. "Can't we talk about something nicer?" he erupted. "Like, I don't know, what was the last movie you've seen?"

"Metropolis," Sasuke replied. "But we kind of saw it together so I don't know whether talking about it makes sense," he mused. "Although, you did miss the ending. It wasn't so bad after all."

" _Scheiße_ ," Naruto cursed. "She came here today," he blurted out after a longer pause. "And she was just sitting there," he pointed to a lounge, "doing nothing. And then she told me she had to go because she had classes."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Sasuke asked.

"No, you're just going to tell her something mean and make her cry," the blonde complained.

"That's the point," he retorted. He decided to have a talk with Neji's cousin regardless of whether Naruto was to agree to it or not. He didn't really care if the woman was just a troubled soul or not. He didn't like Naruto's reaction to her, and he couldn't see why he should be nice to her. The moron was too kind for his own good. "Don't be a doormat," he added, hoping to see Naruto angry. He preferred anger over panic. Anger made people act.

"I'm not a doormat," the blonde growled. "And you don't know her the way I do so it's none of your business."

"Naruto, you've asked me yesterday to come and save you from a girl, who is like five feet tall. If you know her well enough to be afraid of her, she doesn't seem like someone I want to know," he grunted. This discussion was pointless.

"I've panicked, I've just learned some new things about her," he huffed. "That doesn't mean she's a bad person."

"And you were _so_ judgmental towards Orochimaru while the only thing he's ever done to me was giving me a nasty hickey," Sasuke muttered. "At least he doesn't follow me around."

"He almost _raped_ you," Naruto uttered in a hushed voice.

"He was just as drunk as I was," Sasuke replied. The blonde shook his head. Well, Sasuke _had_ been more intoxicated. And he _had_ promised himself to not get drunk around the man until they would clear that issue up. "And I don't care if she is or isn't a nice person, she's still a stalker. If you'll be nice to her, you'll be just feeding her fantasies."

"As if you would have known anything about it," Naruto muttered. He turned his back to Sasuke, and bent to get something from the lowest drawer. Sasuke looked away, determined to not oggle the man's ass.

"I _do_ know something about it," he said. The blonde turned his head at him. "One girl snipped a strand of my hair," he confessed, hoping that it would make the moron feel more at ease with the situation. "They didn't get more physical, though."

" _They_? A fucking plural?" Naruto asked, approaching the bar. He looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm not an asshole without a cause, you know," Sasuke replied. "So, really, being nice doesn't pay off," he stated. The blonde poured him a shot of vodka, and he accepted it. Then the man poured another one into the same glass, and downed it himself. Sasuke knew Naruto wasn't allowed to drink while he was in work, and he has never seen him do that before.

"I didn't ask you to save me," the moron grunted. Sasuke smirked at him, and Naruto finally relented. "Fine, I did. I wouldn't have supposed you were a boyfriend material," he laughed, ruffling Sasuke's hair. His hand stayed on the brunette's head longer than it was socially acceptable for a friendly gesture.

"Me neither," Sasuke agreed, somewhat relieved when Naruto finally stopped touching him. Being near him was slowly becoming a torture.

* * *

Naruto gulped quietly, seeing Hinata approach him. He asked her to meet him on the campus cafeteria. This way there were some other people nearby. She smiled at him, slightly blushing. She would've looked beautiful if it wasn't for her weird behavior.

"Hey," he greeted her. She greeted him back, and sat on a chair next to him. "So, Hinata..." he started awkwardly. He noticed Kiba and Shino standing in the queue. He hoped they wouldn't come to his table but, seeing how they waved at him, it seemed inevitable.

"Yes?" she asked. The blonde tapped his fingers on the table top, deciding that he should spare her the embarrassment and have this conversation on another occasion.

"There was something I wanted to tell you but I want to talk to you in private," he said. She blushed even harder, and Naruto cursed himself for letting her feelings linger. He wished Sasuke was with him. The bastard would've known what to do. And he wouldn't care about causing a scene.

"Okay," she agreed in a meek tone. "I was supposed to tutor you today, we can do it then," she suggested. Naruto sent her an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, about that... I can't make it today," he said. She seemed genuinely surprised. Naruto hoped that she _didn't_ know he didn't have any plans. "We can talk about it on Saturday," he proposed. She nodded her head.

Kiba and Shino sat next to them. Kiba seemed pissed off - Naruto saw him trying to hit on Hinata during the last party, so he wasn't surprised. He wanted to warn him about her, though. Unfortunately, he suspected that the man would ignore him. Or laugh at him.

"You didn't say Hinata was visiting," he said in a falsely cheerful tone.

"She's studying at the same department," Shino pointed out. His voice was dull as always. "Where's Sasuke?" he inquired. Naruto wondered what was up with the question. True, he and Sasuke did hang out a lot but they weren't exactly inseparable.

"I have no idea," he grunted. He did have an idea. Sasuke was at the library, looking for sources to his boring-as-fuck MA thesis, which topic Naruto didn't bother with remembering. However, he remembered that it sounded pompous and complicated.

"He's your new friend, isn't he?" Hinata questioned.

"Who cares," Kiba sneered. "Hinata, how are _you_ doing?"

"I'm well, thank you," she replied. "And Sasuke is important to me if he's Naruto's friend," she smiled.

"He's no-one important," Naruto hastily told her. He didn't want her to spy on him as well. "The bastard is just tutoring me but I'll be free of him after I'll pass the test."

"I see," she giggled. Shino shrugged his shoulders, visibly unconvinced.

"So, Hinata," Kiba said in a husky tone, "would you go out with me on Saturday?"

"I'm seeing Naruto," she informed him, not giving him a second glance. He looked disappointed. Naruto was kind of glad that she turned him down. This way she wouldn't freak out another guy.

"Oh," Kiba pouted. "You dog," he snorted, nudging Naruto with his elbow. His eyes weren't smiling. He probably felt betrayed. "Prettiest girl I've ever seen and she's all over you."

"Yeah, thanks," Naruto mumbled out. Hinata's cheeks were red, and the blonde cursed under his nose, realizing that he gave her a second-hand compliment.

Luckily for him, the break was almost over and the woman had to leave for her classes. He was done for the day. He trudged towards his dorm room, pondering over the fact that only Shino bothered with saying him goodbye.

* * *

Sasuke had already finished the test but there was still some time left. Naruto was visibly struggling. From what Sasuke knew, the blonde couldn't force himself to study last night. He was surprised. He had already talked with Hinata and told her that Naruto didn't want to see her again. It should've worked but the blonde was still bothered by something.

Some people around him finished their papers, and were getting up to leave the room. They were free to go home. So was Sasuke but he still found himself waiting for the idiot. He didn't like to see him troubled, it didn't suit him. Naruto scribbled something on his test. Then he crossed it out, pursed his lips, and scribbled something again. It appeared that he would have to retake the test after all.

Sasuke let out a bored sigh. He and Naruto were the only students still present in class, and Anko, their teacher, seemed mildly annoyed. She probably had hoped that she would be able to go to home earlier. Then she approached Naruto and Sasuke, and took their tests from them. The blonde rested his head on his desk, looking defeated.

"Pack your things," Sasuke grunted. "I've waited long enough for you."

"You were just stressing me out," Naruto complained incomprehensibly, his head still lying on the desktop. "I could feel your eyes boring into my skull. You could've at least pretended you're not as pissed off."

"I'm not pissed off," Sasuke muttered. The blonde didn't move, and Anko was slowly getting irritated. "Start moving."

The command worked, the moron finally got up from his seat, and shoved everything into his bag, not caring about stacking it in a neat manner. Sasuke frowned. He wasn't a stickler but he preferred to have at least some of his things in order. His bag was one of those.

"Is Hinata still bothering you?" Sasuke asked when they reached the corridor. Naruto rolled his eyes at him.

" _No_ ," he said. "I'm going to tell her tomorrow to leave me alone."

"I've told her that on Wednesday," the brunette replied. He expected the moron to get angry at him for sticking his nose in other people's businesses but he looked surprised.

"Really?" he questioned, his eyes wide. "I've talked with her yesterday and she didn't seem too troubled," he whispered.

"She _did_ say I'm no-one important," Sasuke snorted. "So I have no way of knowing how her precious Naruto really feels about her. Although, I did make myself pretty clear. I guess I was too nice after all," he mused.

"You can't do something like this behind my back," the blonde whined, rubbing his temples. "This is _my_ problem so fuck off, all right?"

"Fine," the brunette agreed, deciding to humor Naruto. He was still pretty much ready to ignore his plea and step in if the situation needed it. "How did you do on that test?"

Naruto shot him an angry stare.

"Seriously, Sasuke, leave me alone," he grunted, and started to walk faster. Sasuke stopped in his track, watching after the idiot. He didn't look back, and it seemed that he didn't mind not being followed. The brunette wished the moron acted just as blunt and assertive when it came to women, who were crushing on him. It would make his life much easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say, she creeps me out much more than Orochimaru does :D


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke entered his flat, suppressing a chuckle when he noticed Neji frantically changing a TV channel. Sasuke tossed his bag on a chair, and sat on a couch next to his flatmate, who pretended to be completely engulfed in a documentary about jelly fish.

"I don't care what you're watching in your spare time," Sasuke said. The man stared at him as if he had no idea what Sasuke was talking about. "But I'll definitely tell Lee that you _don't_ find his favorite TV series insanely stupid," he added, earning himself another angry glare.

Sasuke looked around, and realized that for the first time this week Tenten was absent. And Neji looked quite disheveled. Sasuke sighed. It seemed that nobody was able to suffer through his flatmate's moods for too long.

"Your girlfriend dumped you?" he asked. Neji rolled his creepy eyes at him, and shook his head. So it seemed that the two love birds just had some sort of argument. "Apologize to her," Sasuke advised, resting his feet on the coffee table only because he knew Neji hated it.

Normally, Sasuke would never do something so stupid. His mom would've  lectured him for at least an hour if he was to act like this. His brother would've extended the lecture to at least two hours just to make sure that he was doing everything he could to raise Sasuke properly.

Their aunt wouldn't care about something this trivial. She was busy with work - after all, providing for two kids wasn't the easiest thing to do. Especially if one was selling rice crackers. Even if they _were_ the best rice crackers Sasuke has ever eaten. Her bakery was rather small and specialized. She probably wouldn't had made it if it wasn't for Itachi. It appeared that Itachi was some kind of marketing genius because their aunt's crackers became a well-known product. Stores and supermarkets were fighting over which one would get to sell them.

Sasuke never knew how exactly Itachi was able to pull all of that off. Especially since he hadn't been the best brother at the beginning. He would get in too many fights in too little time. He had been expelled from one of the schools for acting out. If it wasn't for Itachi, Sasuke would probably end up rather poorly. And Itachi didn't get angry at him even once. He's set the bar too high.

"I didn't do anything apology-worthy," Neji replied. He didn't scold Sasuke for his behavior. It appeared that he had to be really out of himself. It would explain why he's  been watching a cartoon about ponies. Sasuke could understand why Lee would believe that friendship was magic but Neji seemed too much of a stuck-up to enjoy something not intended for his age group.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. He believed that Neji was generally quite annoying and that he didn't have to do anything in particular to upset someone. Just being himself would do the trick. "Your cousin is a stalker," he muttered. He had tried to be friendly, and it didn't work. Also, even though Naruto decided that he didn't want to see Sasuke ever again, leaving him alone in a situation he clearly didn't know how to fix wasn't acceptable.

Neji turned his face towards Sasuke. Some veins popped up on his temples. He seemed quite pissed off.

"She isn't interested in you," he growled. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"She's stalking Naruto," he clarified. "Do something about it."

Neji blinked. Sasuke could almost see the gears in his head turning. It was obvious that the man didn't _want_ to believe in it but, apparently, it wasn't as out of question as he had wished it to be.

"I'll talk to her," he promised. Sasuke didn't expect that. He had thought that Neji would be far less reasonable and much more of a pain in the ass. More... himself.

"So," he started awkwardly, not certain what to say. He gained everything he had hoped for with that conversation.

"So," Neji repeated in a dry voice. He covered himself with a blanket. Sasuke wondered whether he shouldn't leave him to his ponies. After all, he was supposed to see Orochimaru tonight.

His relationship with the man was different than what he had anticipated at first. He was hoping for a rebound from Naruto but it ended up as professional curiosity. Orochimaru's studies were more than interesting, and it seemed that majority of them weren't translated yet. Sasuke was quite certain that the man would be interested in reaching a wider audience.

"I have to go out," he informed his flatmate. There was no point in trying to get on the Neji's good side. And Sasuke didn't feel like doing it anyway.

"Did Naruto pass the test?" he asked, observing Sasuke heading to his room. Sasuke looked over his shoulder. He and Naruto were pretty much done.

"I don't think so," he answered. He didn't close the doors. He just needed to unpack his books, and change a t-shirt. "You will need to tutor him on your own," he shouted. He heard Neji getting up from the couch, and wasn't too surprised to see him standing on his doorstep.

"Hinata's out of question for obvious reasons but what about you?" he inquired, leaning on the door frame. A nasty smile appeared on his face. It appeared that he was feeding off of other people's misery. "I thought you liked him," he uttered and smirked.

"I _tolerated_ him," Sasuke lied. "But getting my dishes done isn't worth it," he added, deciding to put on a scarf. It was getting colder and colder.

" _Right,_ " Neji muttered. He didn't sound convinced. "That's why you're bothering yourself with talking to me about Hinata."

"I'm not a total asshole," Sasuke retorted. "You should go back to watching your show, maybe you'll learn a thing or two about being a decent human being," he mused.

"If a jelly fish is your model of a decent human being, then I have no more questions," Neji said. Sasuke sent the man a menacing glare, and left. There was no point in gracing him with an answer.

 

* * *

Naruto scoffed, noticing Sasuke and Orochimaru entering the pub. It was Friday and while the place wasn't exactly packed, he was still way too busy to even scratch himself. And he didn't like the way the older guy was oggling his friend. He couldn't understand why Sasuke would find the man desirable. He was obviously a creeper, and it was clear that only a huge amount of alcohol would be able to make someone turn a blind eye at it. Also, Sasuke looked distressed. He didn't even approach Naruto to say "hi." He didn't even to come get his own beer, and sent the creeper to get it for him. As if it was a good idea.

Naruto grinded his teeth, and poured two glasses. Then he made sure that Orochimaru didn't tinker with them in any way. He was allowed to regain some of his calm when the man handed the glass to Sasuke. But the night was still young.

"What's wrong?" Gaara questioned. He was sitting on 'Sasuke's stool.' At first Naruto thought that the redhead was boring but he soon learned that he just didn't talk too much. However, whenever he decided to speak, listening to him was a pleasure. Gaara was a really nice guy.

"I don't like this creeper," he mumbled under his breath. He couldn't allow himself to be heard by other patrons. Gaara turned his head in the least discreet way available, and stared at the two men. "You don't have to be so obvious about it," Naruto complained.

"He seems fine," Gaara said, and returned to his drink. He was drinking gin with tonic, the most bitter and disgusting drink that had ever been created. Naruto frowned. He wondered why Sasuke kept on drinking beer if he had labeled it as horse piss before. "You and Sasuke aren't talking?" he inquired.

"Of course we are talking. But I can't exactly leave the bar unattended. And he's busy with his date. He had called me a cock blocker before," the blonde whined. The bastard probably didn't want his creeper to think that he and Naruto were something more than just friends.

Naruto cursed under his breath. He had enough problems as it was. He shouldn't had had to worry about the asshole as well. There was the situation with Hinata. And with German. And with his job. And now there was also Sasuke's creeper.

"But you are acting like a cock blocker," Gaara pointed out. Naruto still couldn't guess if the man was or wasn't joking. His voice was as monotone as always. And his face was blank.

"It's all in good faith," Naruto argued. He sincerely believed in it. And he couldn't understand why Sasuke was so stubborn about meeting the guy. Orochimaru didn't deserve any of his attention. "Go there," he told Gaara, who just sent him a questioning stare.

"No," he replied. "I don't know him, and he's an adult. Let him be," he said, playing with his glass. Naruto refrained himself from letting out a frustrated groan.

He was glancing at Sasuke every couple of minutes. It seemed that the men at least weren't as "cuddly," as they had been before. And Sasuke drunk just one beer. There was a chance that he wouldn't do anything stupid on that night. Naruto sighed in relief. What was more, he also hadn't spotted Hinata even though the woman had told him that she would definitely be here. But, then again, it appeared that there were many instances when he hadn't spotted her. It was possible that she was lurking in the shadows. Naruto looked around and shuddered. He definitely hoped that she simply wasn't there.

"You keep staring at him," Gaara stated in a serious tone. "It's getting creepy."

Naruto gave the man an evil eye. He wasn't creepy, he was worried. And Gaara had no idea about how reckless Sasuke was. Because a normal person wouldn't approach a stalker. Especially if they had already experienced some problems with them. The blonde frowned, seeing that Sasuke got up, and was heading to the bathroom. Naruto glared at his friend's date, willing the man to stay where he was. Luckily, he didn't move from his spot. And he was generally acting quite innocent, which was rather suspicious.

"What is your problem?" Sasuke growled at him, and Naruto jumped. He had been so focused on Orochimaru that he didn't notice Sasuke approach the bar.

"My problem?! You're the one who's acting stupid," he retorted before he could stop himself. Gaara raised an eyebrow in polite curiosity. Sasuke didn't answer. He cursed, and returned to Orochimaru. The man smiled at Sasuke in the creepiest way possible, and got up from his seat. It seemed that they were leaving. "Great," Naruto muttered under his breath. Now he wasn't even able to make sure that his friend was safe.

"You're acting as if you were his mother," Gaara stated. The blonde answered with a wide grin.

"We could adopt him together. You would be the distant father," he joked. The redhead rested his head on the palm of his hand, and smiled back. "We could ground him for eternity," Naruto mused. It seemed like a rather reasonable solution to at least one of his current problems.

"He's an adult," the man said, and pushed his glass towards Naruto, who refilled it.

"See, you already know your lines," the blonde laughed. "You should talk to your son, he's been talking back to me for the last two weeks," he chirped happily.

"I don't even know him," Gaara answered. His cheeks were slightly flushed. It seemed that alcohol did have an effect on him after all. "And I believe that it's already too late to have the talk with him," he added to Naruto's surprise. He had never expected the redhead to be able to not say something serious.

"Yes, you've never had the time to talk to your son," the blonde said, pretending to be upset by Gaara's model of parenting. "And even _now_ you're spending your time in some rundown pub, and not with your family," he murmured, wiping off an imaginary tear.

"Watch your mouth," someone said in a sharp voice, and smacked Naruto in the shoulder, almost making him spill the beer he was pouring. The blonde turned his head to see a very pissed off Yahiko. The man looked like a poor rock star but, somehow, the look suited him. "It's not a _rundown pub_ ," he muttered, sounding offended. Naruto offered him a sheepish grin. It _was_ pretty rundown. But one couldn't expect too much from a place intended for students.

"Of course it's not," he agreed hastily. Yahiko nodded, evidently satisfied with the answer.

In the last few weeks he didn't appear there too often, too busy with his other obligations. From what Konan was saying, Naruto knew that it would be possible that the pub would get closed in the next few months. Or, to be more correct, that it would change owner. Naruto was hoping that it wouldn't mean that he would lose his job. He needed it pretty badly. Taking into account the amount of spare time he would be able to dedicate to work, and the amount of money he needed, it was the perfect place. Especially since it was rather calm during the weekdays, so Naruto was able to study while he was there.

"See, I'm spending my evenings in high end pubs," Gaara whispered, lifting the heavy atmosphere. Naruto snorted, and smiled at him with gratitude. Yahiko just shook his head in defeat, and ruffled the blonde's hair in a playful gesture. It seemed that he had one of his good days.

* * *

 

Sasuke returned home, feeling angry for no particular reason. His meeting with Orochimaru had been a success, and he was quite certain that he would get exclusiveness when it came to translating the man's articles. It appeared that Orochimaru was quite easy to talk to - he would accept every compliment, and would get distressed whenever Sasuke would imply that, of course, it was _him_ who was doing Orochimaru a favor. After all, he was the best one there was, and there weren't too many people, who would be able to understand his ramblings. So it had to be Sasuke or no-one. And Sasuke wasn't certain whether he had enough time on his hands, after all...

Orochimaru bought it all. And he had promised Sasuke a quite decent pay. And a place in his next research project. It seemed that he was receiving a grant after a grant, and it suited Sasuke. He would have a stable source of income, and a good reputation. Now he just needed to not screw up, which didn't seem too likely to happen.

Sasuke shrugged, remembering the way Orochimaru rubbed his arm. It seemed that the man was still interested in something more - even if he wasn't too pushy, it was still rather bothersome. At least Sasuke had informed him that he definitely wasn't interested. And Orochimaru seemed to accept that - for now.

But Naruto was pissing Sasuke off. He didn't even know what he had done to deserve the glare the moron graced him with when he and Orochimaru were at the pub. Sasuke didn't even want to go to that pub - he knew very well that it was the day of Naruto's shift, and he didn't want the idiot to think that he had been following him like some other lost puppy. The only reason he had appeared in there was because Orochimaru claimed that he didn't have time to go anywhere further - after all, he was supposed to speak at a conference tomorrow, and he had to prepare himself.

So Sasuke, being the reasonable man he was, decided to leave Naruto alone. He had planned to talk to him later on, after the idiot would cool off but now it seemed rather pointless. Naruto had told him to fuck off twice. And it was clear that he was still angry at him for some made up reason.

That was why Sasuke wasn't too glad when he was welcomed by Neji, who was hatefully glaring at him.

"What?" he growled, expecting to hear that he had clogged the drain with his hair or left a dirty mug on kitchen cupboard.

"I talked with Hinata," he said in a calm tone. "Her side of the story seems much more believable."

Sasuke blinked. He couldn't see what Hinata could had said to make Neji angry at Sasuke.

"Hinata told me that ever since Naruto had asked her out, you've been trying to break them up. She says you're jealous because he had called you no-one important. He had even said that he was glad that he would finally get free of you after you would stop tutoring him," he muttered. "And you couldn't stand that."

"...what?" Sasuke asked. He had never heard something even as remotely stupid as the word vomit Neji had just let out. His flatmate raised an eyebrow in a mocking manner.

"Hey, I know that Naruto might seem cute but, believe me, you and him isn't going to happen. Just let it go. And leave my cousin alone."

"You're fucking insane," Sasuke realized. He combed through his hair with his hand, thinking of a way to inform the asshole that Hinata in fact was a stalker. He smiled in triumph and took out his phone. Then he searched through his text messages, and shoved the device into Neji's face. "See for yourself," he said.

Neji paled. And he didn't look as composed anymore.

"He could be talking about _anyone_ ," he pointed out in a weak voice, rubbing his temples. The veins had popped up again. Sasuke wondered if they did that when Neji had sex. Maybe that was the reason why Tenten was screaming. He himself would probably get scared as well. "I'll call him," he decided.

"I was there, it was her," Sasuke protested. Neji raised an eyebrow at him, dialed Naruto's number, and put him on a speaker.

"Naruto, is Hinata troubling you?" he asked. He sounded stressed.

Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for everyone else, Naruto said "You've been talking to Sasuke, huh? Don't mind it, everything's fine."

Neji smirked, and sat on a couch, evidently self-assured. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt like lifting the couch and throwing it out of the window. The moron was an idiot. And he made Sasuke look like an even bigger idiot, which was unacceptable.

"Ask him about those texts," he grunted. Neji obeyed.

"Oh, that... Yeah, that was nothing. Really, don't worry. And don't listen to Sasuke, I've got everything under control."

Then they finished their conversation, and Sasuke started to reflect back on his life. It appeared that bad karma finally caught up with him. He had to pay back for every wrong he had ever done. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sat on a couch next to Neji.

"He's lying," he said, his voice strained. Neji smiled at him, resting his arms on the back of the couch. "And he didn't deny that it was Hinata back then," he added. He wasn't even certain what he was trying to gain anymore. He should had left the idiot alone.

"You too didn't deny that you might have a thing for Naruto. And Naruto himself said that I should ignore everything you're saying. Shame on you," he uttered.

Sasuke felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and read a text. Naruto decided that they should have a talk. A frustrated groan escaped Sasuke's lips. Neji looked at his phone screen and snorted.

"You're just being jealous of Hinata," he mused. "It's a good thing that Naruto isn't a complete idiot, and can recognize the real nutcase when he sees one," he chuckled.

"Fuck you," Sasuke hissed, getting up from the couch. When he finally found himself in his room, he sent a text with an identical message to Naruto. He had had enough.

* * *

 

Naruto gulped, feeling Hinata's stare. The woman was sitting opposite of him with a sweet smile on her face. The issue he wanted to discuss with her was rather delicate, and Sasuke had done a tremendous job of ruining Naruto's chances of solving the problem in a way that wouldn't hurt Hinata's feelings.

"I think Sasuke doesn't like me," she said, looking away and blushing heavily.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. He doesn't like anyone," Naruto blabbered. "But, you know, I wanted to talk about something else," he added hastily, trying to keep her mind off of Sasuke.

If Naruto was to turn her down now, she would definitely blame Sasuke. The bastard had destroyed their "date," he had told her to leave Naruto alone, and he had even went as far, as to inform Neji of Hinata's behavior. Naruto had no idea how she would react to rejection. He had thought he knew her but, in the end, it turned out he didn't. And although he couldn't imagine Hinata getting violent, he wouldn't bet his life on that.

"I was thinking about us," he said. The woman fixed her eyes on him. Withstanding her gaze was rather difficult. And he knew that he would regret doing what he was about to do but he needed to keep Hinata in check until she would either get bored with him or he would get sure that she wouldn't pose any danger. "I thought we should be together. But you'll have to stop following me and other people," he said, forcing himself to smile. "From now on we could walk hand in hand," he added.

"I have something for you," she whispered, taking out a small gift bag. Her blush became darker. Naruto sent her a sheepish grin. He knew Hinata wasn't a bad person. And her intentions were probably good. Besides, seeing how she idealized him, there was a chance that she would dump him on her own. "It's a belated birthday gift," she chuckled.

Naruto unpacked the bag, and took out a red scarf. It was really nice and soft. And ridiculously long.

"It's our red thread of destiny," she whispered, her eyes glued to the cake laying in front of her.

"It's really nice, thank you," Naruto answered, putting on the scarf. He already had a scarf. One that used to belong to his mother. It seemed that Hinata didn't know _everything_ but that was reassuring. And he wouldn't mind wearing a different scarf for one season if it meant that Hinata would leave Sasuke alone. Naruto sighed internally. Apparently, Sasuke was mad at him for gods know what. He wasn't picking up his phone or answering to text messages - besides the first one, that was. Luckily, after the Monday would come, the man wouldn't be able to avoid him. "So, I take it that you want us to be together?"

Hinata beamed at him, and nodded her head, her shiny black hair swaying with every motion.

* * *

 

Sasuke grunted unhappily, and got up from bed. Someone was repeatedly ringing the doorbell. Probably Neji ordered something stupid and forgot about it. Sasuke cursed under his breath, and opened the door, ready to scold the delivery person for being too loud. Then he slammed it shut again, and turned on his heel.

"That was uncalled for," Naruto shouted from behind the door. "Let me in, you bastard."

"Fuck you," Sasuke yelled back. It was 3pm. He had returned home less than eight hours ago. The conference had been a big event - much bigger than Sasuke had anticipated. And it had been further away than he had expected it to be. Another thing he wouldn't had guessed was that, according to Naruto's facebook page, he and Hinata were in a relationship. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard the door opening.

"You didn't lock them," Naruto mumbled out. Sasuke frowned. "I know I shouldn't barge in like that but you're being ridiculous."

" _You_ are being ridiculous," Sasuke growled at the blonde, who just rolled his eyes at him. "I didn't invite you here," he added, crossing his arms.

"Well, yeah, I know... but you were at that thing with your creeper, and you didn't come to classes, and you weren't picking up your phone, and I didn't even know whether you were still alive-"

"I am still alive. Now get the fuck out of here," he muttered, interrupting the moron. He wanted to say that Naruto and his creeper were now in a relationship but, at the same time, he didn't feel like talking to him.

"Well... Okay, I can leave for now and we will talk after you'll calm down," he said in a patronizing tone. Sasuke clenched his fists. "But I just wanted to ask you to stay away from Hinata-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he cursed. His knuckles were getting white. He would love to hit the idiot. Sasuke counted to ten, and, when that didn't work, he counted to one hundred. In the meantime Naruto was still awkwardly standing in the corridor.

"Is that a yes?" he asked after a longer pause. Sasuke unclenched his fists, and wiped his hands in his pajama pants.

"Sure, I'll leave your girlfriend alone," he gritted through his teeth. "Now _I_ am asking you to leave."

"Okay," Naruto agreed, and stepped back. He looked as if he wanted to say something but he refrained himself from doing it. It was probably the first smart decision in his life. "Let me know when you'll be ready to talk to me," he said hastily. Sasuke slammed the door in his face, feeling a little bit satisfied. Then he locked it, and went back to his room. He doubted he would ever feel like talking to a total moron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC, I've written half a chapter for all of my other fics, and I'm stuck, and this thing just writes itself. Ugh. I shouldn't make plans, my plans never work out.
> 
> In other news, Lee isn't a brony (well, um, on the other hand, he does call himself a nice guy), and I don't hate Neji. But making fun of him is too easy. I hope that he's still at least partially likable.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto ran through the corridor, checking his phone for hour. He was already ten minutes late for Mr Ibiki's classes. Out of all the classes he could had been late to, it had to be his. Naruto cursed in panic, and flung the door open. People stopped talking, blankly staring at him. He was _screwed_.

"I'm sorry for being late," he panted. The teacher glared at him, and Naruto wished he hadn't spoken at all. "I'm just going to sit," he mumbled out, and took the empty seat in front of Ibiki's desk.

"Find yourself a partner for a presentation," Ibiki muttered. Naruto looked around. He had no idea what presentation the man was talking about but he saw a piece of paper traveling through the back row of students. He turned to Sasuke, who was sitting behind him and staring through the window, not paying any attention to him.

"...Sasuke?" he whispered. Black eyes locked with his blue ones. It seemed that he was still pissed off.

"I'm with Sasuke," Ino informed him in an apologetic tone, wrote both of their names in a cute bubbly handwriting, and handed the list to Naruto. The blonde read it, and let out a relieved sigh. Gaara was still not taken. He grinned at the redhead, who waved at him from across the room. He was saved. Still, Sasuke and Ino's union was an odd one. Naruto didn't saw them talking too much before. And Sasuke had never mentioned her name.

"When will you be able to tutor me?" he asked after the classes had ended. Sasuke didn't wait for him. It was weird. Naruto couldn't say that the brunette had been always waiting for him but he had been doing that for the last few weeks.

"I won't," he replied. Ino was walking by his side, looking uncomfortable. As if Naruto talking to Sasuke was a bizarre event. "Your girlfriend is a Germanist, figure something out," he added in an angry tone. Naruto pouted at him. Sasuke was the only person who knew _why_ this option wasn't too desirable.

"I won't pass without you," he said, grabbing his arm. The man freed it from his grip, and marched forward.

"You should've thought about it before," he grunted, looking over his shoulder. The blonde let out a tired sigh. It seemed that Sasuke had some absurd mood swings. Naruto turned on his heel, and called Neji. He was his only hope now.

* * *

Sasuke hid himself in his room, avoiding Naruto. The moron and Neji were sitting in the living room, studying. At least Naruto was smart enough to know that he wasn't wanted in his room. Sasuke sighed, and returned to his laptop. He had to write an essay for his literature classes. He didn't feel inspired. He arched an eyebrow when he noticed that Suigetsu sent him a message. Sasuke didn't talk to him even once in the last few weeks.

_what's up?_

The brunette tapped his fingers on the desk. He could probably tell him about Orochimaru. That was a success, and Suigetsu was used to hearing about Sasuke's successes. While they had been close friends, they didn't discuss anything besides current events. That was probably the reason why their bond was getting weaker with every day.

_I'm fine,_ he said dismissively. He wished he had someone he could vent out to. On the other hand, he couldn't imagine himself actually doing that. Still, having an option to do so would be nice.

_i'm bored_ , Suigetsu complained. Sasuke huffed, and nodded his head, well aware of the fact that the man couldn't see him. _juugo is always busy. it's lonely here without you._

Sasuke smiled. At least _someone_ missed him. He couldn't understand how Naruto's mind worked like. First, he was freaked out by Hinata. Then he decided to date her. Now he was actively avoiding her. And, apparently, he still didn't see that he had fucked up every time he didn't listen to Sasuke.

_Just find someone new,_ he advised the man. Back in the days he used to hang out with Suigetsu a lot. His relationship with him was much less stressful than the one he had with Naruto. He had never wanted anything from Suigetsu. And Suigetsu had always been laid back and easy-going. Sasuke missed him as well.

_did you find someone new?_

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. He did find some new people. There was Ino - the woman was nice. Naruto had been right when he had called her a really sweet girl. She was friendly towards virtually anyone. And although she was in Sasuke's opinion too interested in talking about feelings, she didn't ask too many questions. There was Orochimaru, who was intellectually challenging. Talking with him was like playing shogi. Satisfying. Then, there had been Naruto. Sasuke didn't remember when was the last time he had felt so much at ease with someone.

_I guess,_ he replied, deciding to not disclose any details. There was no reason for Suigetsu to care about people he didn't know. Sasuke heard a soft knocking on his door. He knew it wasn't Neji - his flatmate was anything but gentle.

"What do you want?" he growled, knowing that it was Naruto on the other side.

"To talk," the man answered without opening the door. Neji would had already been inside. Sasuke frowned. He didn't think they had anything to talk about. Naruto made him look like a fool. And he had ignored all of his advices. Sasuke cursed under his breath, and turned on his chair, facing the door. Neji was probably still in the living room. Sasuke wondered what would make his flatmate's stupid theory more believable - if he did or didn't let the moron in.

"I don't want to talk to you," he grunted.

"Stop being such a drama queen," Naruto whined. Sasuke heard a faint thud - as if the man hit the door with his forehead.

"Stop lying," he retorted, resting his hands on his knees. His laptop beeped again, letting him know that Suigetsu had said something. Sasuke looked over his shoulder.

_they're not as cool as i am_

The brunette chuckled, and gave the man an affirmative answer.

"I never lied to you," Naruto protested. Sasuke hummed. That could be true. Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that Naruto had been lying to other people. "Let me in," he demanded.

"No," Sasuke decided. He heard the man sigh and walk away. For a short while he wished he had said something different but there was no helping it now. And it wasn't Sasuke's fault that everything got ruined.

* * *

Naruto returned to his spot by the table, feeling observed by Neji. The man heard him trying to talk to Sasuke, and he was probably going to mock him for it. Especially now since Uchiha decided to pretend Naruto didn't exist. Neji seemed tensed - he had tried to ask Naruto about Hinata but Naruto had been giving him one-worded answers, not really certain what more he could say. He knew that the bond between two cousins was already strained. Neji was doing his best to make up for the years of bullying, and Hinata was acting as if she had already forgotten about everything. Still, if Naruto was to say a bad word about her, Neji would either dismiss him or, what would be even worse, his relationship with Hinata would get worsened. He didn't want any of these things to happen.

"Hinata was busy today?" he asked after Naruto recited irregular comparatives and superlatives.

"Um, I don't think so," he said. "How am I doing?" he questioned, trying to distract his friend.

"Pretty good," Neji grunted, rubbing his temples. "Why isn't she tutoring you then? I bet she would've done that with pleasure..."

"She _distracts_ me," Naruto replied, forcing a chuckle. Neji smirked at him. "And I really need to pass this test."

"I'm glad that you two have gotten together," he whispered. Naruto sent him a sheepish smile. He had never considered that before but now he was wondering how would Neji react to him and Hinata breaking up. "Both of you are really important to me," he added. Naruto grinned at him. Neji's blessing was the last thing he needed. If the man was opposed to the relationship, he would had had an excuse to avoid Hinata. Now he was forced to agree to take her out on a date. He sighed internally. There was no running away from it now. "But why do you still bother yourself with that asshole?" Neji asked.

"Don't call him that," Naruto protested before he could stop himself. His friend sent him a faint smile.

"And yet you knew whom was I talking about," he mused. "But, joking aside, leave him be. He won't be happy about you and Hinata, and you don't need this sort of negativity in your life."

Naruto played with his fingers, feeling strangely flustered. He was glad that Sasuke was unhappy about him and Hinata. He was the only person, who knew how messed up it was. And he was refusing to talk to Naruto, what made the blonde feel abandoned and lonely. He didn't like this feeling.

"I like him," Naruto stated evasively.

"Well, your signs _are_ compatible," Neji muttered, resting his chin on his straightened arm. "Unlike your and Hinata's..." he mused. The blonde refrained himself from rolling eyes. Neji's interest in astrology was rather bizarre. On the other hand, he felt honored by being one of the very few people with whom Neji felt comfortable enough to actually mention it.

"You and I are not compatible too," Naruto pointed out flatly. It wasn't as if he didn't _like_ Hinata. He used to like her. She was smart, kind, and really pretty. He had sincerely believed that even though he wasn't romantically interested in her, he could be. It seemed that the woman had nothing but virtues. But, then again, every rose has its thorn. And Hinata's was quite pointy.

"You have a point," Neji muttered. "That doesn't change the fact that you should forget about Sasuke. He doesn't wish you well," he informed Naruto in a hushed voice. The blonde shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to respond to that. Sasuke did wish him well. Hell, he had went out of his way just to make sure Naruto was fine. Even if it had been unwanted and unasked for.

Naruto jumped in his spot when he heard a door opening. A huge grin appeared on his face. Then, it instantly faded. Sasuke went out just to make himself a tea. He didn't look at Naruto even once. The blonde sighed, observing as the man waited for the water to boil. And then he waited for it to cool down, looking through the kitchen window. He had a really nice profile. At first Naruto thought that Sasuke's nose was too narrow but he eventually deemed it perfect. Especially from a side view. Neji gently elbowed him, and Naruto buried his own not so perfect nose in his notebook, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He had spent the last couple of minutes mindlessly staring at Sasuke and admiring his facial features. He just hoped that the bastard didn't notice, and that Neji wasn't a mind reader because he would probably never live this down.

When people had been saying that he and Sasuke were dating or about to date, he didn't mind it. It seemed so absurd that it was funny. So he had been invading Sasuke's personal space on a regular basis whenever he knew that someone was watching them. Then he had caught himself doing it even when there was no-one to scandalize anywhere near them. It was a devastating discovery. Touching Sasuke became natural and he had been doing it unconsciously. And Naruto didn't have anything against gay people but he wouldn't want to be considered one. His friends would had probably freaked out.

"How do you like living with him?" Naruto asked after Sasuke had disappeared in his room again. They seemed pretty mismatched, and they both complained about one another all the time but neither of them ever mentioned moving out.

"He's all right," Neji muttered, surprising Naruto. "And lately he doesn't give me a reason to complain. I think he doesn't want to talk to me," he added and snorted. "He's been doing his dishes. And he's stopped blasting his music in the mornings. Actually, it's getting quite boring," he mused, earning himself a playful nudge in the ribs.

"I see," Naruto whispered. "So you're not looking for a new flatmate?" he questioned. It was reassuring. This way, even if Sasuke decided to avoid him completely, Neji could still keep an eye on him.

"I think we just know we're both difficult," the man replied. "Tenten got mad at me after just a week of living together. Apparently, I'm too meticulous. And my showers last too long. And she has a right to toss her clothes on the floor if she feels like it," he sighed. "And he... He doesn't care. I'll growl at him, he'll bark back, and we return to normal. It's pretty refreshing."

* * *

Hinata was sitting on the 'Sasuke's stool' in front of the bar. Naruto forced a smile on his face. The woman offered to come see him at work. She seemed quite lost. She had never drunk too much, and was bothered by people who did it. And she decided to bring Naruto a lunch. He couldn't exactly eat it at work but, from what he had seen, it contained all of his favorite things. It was quite terrifying. It seemed that Hinata knew everything about him. At the same time, he knew next to nothing about her.

She had never talked about her interests or what she did or didn't like. She generally didn't talk. She would just blush or nod, or repeat Naruto's name. And while he wouldn't mind getting to know her, it felt rather awkward.

"Sooo," he drawled, pouring some woman a beer. "You like to cook?" he asked.

"I know you don't like it," she answered and smiled. Naruto grinned back, and started to polish a glass. It was a good distraction.

"I can still talk about it," he assured his girlfriend. Somehow, he felt as if his relationship with Hinata didn't really change at all - they had just labeled themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend but that was pretty much it. They didn't even hold hands yet. She was probably too shy to initiate it, and he wanted to avoid it for as long as it would be possible. And he couldn't even imagine what would happen if she would want to have sex with him. She was a very attractive woman but she was also equally frightening. "I remember that you've used to cook a lot for parties," he said. "Sakura was always jealous of your cooking skills," he added, snickering. His friend was hopeless at it. So was he but, for some silly reason, she thought she _should_ be able to cook. They had even signed for a cooking course together but, somehow, they managed to screw up every single dish. Naruto smiled to himself. At least they had fun.

"I know you had a crush on her," Hinata whispered in a breaking voice. Naruto shook his head with passion. He didn't want his girlfriend to target his friend. "But she's never deserved you," she stated. "I'm really glad that you've finally noticed that I've always been there for you. Whenever you were feeling down, I was there. You know you can count on me," she smiled. She looked really beautiful. Her cheeks were puffy and rosy, her eyes big, and her eyelashes long. Her pink lips seemed soft. And her long hair was impeccable and glossy. Naruto put on a grateful face. He didn't think that the woman had always been there for him. And knowing what she meant by that he wished she hadn't.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered words of agreement. "I've stopped crushing on her some time ago," he lied.

"That's good to know," Hinata replied, beaming at him. "You should also avoid Sasuke. I've contacted his ex-girlfriend, and it seems that he's a rather bad influence," she said, looking away. Naruto felt as if a noose was tightening around his throat. After everything he'd done to keep the bastard safe, she was still spying on him.

"Leave him alone," he demanded. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise.

"He has a criminal record," she cried out. Naruto exhaled loudly. He didn't care.

"Hinata, I'm serious, leave him alone," he growled. He hadn't meant to snap at her but now it seemed that his agreeing to a relationship with her was pointless. "He's a good guy. And you were supposed to stop following people."

"I didn't follow him anywhere," she protested. "I just wanted to check who he is. And it's a good thing I've done it because you really shouldn't hang out with him."

Naruto let out a strained sigh. A patron was observing him, probably feeling uncomfortable because of the overheard conversation. He apologized to them, and prepared them a drink. Then he rubbed his temples, trying to come up with anything worth saying. Well, Hinata probably shouldn't worry about him and Sasuke hanging out. The man was angry at him, and now he would probably just get angrier.

* * *

Sasuke blinked, rereading the message Naruto had sent him for the umpteenth time.

_Hinata has learned something about you, she claims it's something nasty. I'm trying to keep the damage under control but be careful_

That wasn't informative. Or helpful. Sasuke bit his lip, mentally cursing the girl. He couldn't see why she would get interested in him. Unless she wanted to keep him in check in case he would try to mess up her 'love life' again.

"For fuck's sake," he cursed, calling Naruto. To his surprise, the man rejected the call. Sasuke frowned. It hadn't happened before. It would probably mean that she was somewhere near him. A few seconds later he got another text; it informed him that Naruto couldn't answer the phone because he was at work. Sasuke glanced at the clock. Naruto's shift would last three more hours. And he needed answers _now_. After making sure that Naruto wasn't with Hinata anymore, Sasuke put on his jacket and left the apartment.

When he arrived at the pub, Naruto beamed at him from behind the bar. Sasuke stared at him, uncertain about how he should react to that. He didn't feel like smiling.

"What does she know?" he asked instead of greeting the man.

"I didn't ask. That wasn't for me to know," he replied. "But she did say that you have a criminal record?" Sasuke sighed. He had been still a minor back then and it was all sealed. No-one had an access to it. In the worst case scenario, he would become an object of rumors. There were worse things that could had happened to him. "And she has contacted your ex-girlfriend," Naruto muttered, a weird expression on his face.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. He doubted that the blonde would be taken aback by something as trivial as criminal record. Especially since Sasuke shrugged these news off. He was more worried about what would Hinata do next. He started to wonder whether getting involved in this mess was a good idea.

"Nothing, I just can't picture you having a girlfriend," Naruto replied and smiled at Sasuke. "I generally can't imagine you holding hands and being all lovey-dovey," he chuckled.

"I wasn't," he huffed. Naruto grinned at him, and handed him a drink he had been preparing. It smelled sweet. "What's that?" he questioned.

"Margarita," he replied with a cheeky smile on his face. "Since you hate our beer-"

"I didn't come here to talk with you," Sasuke interrupted him. Well, he did come there to talk with Naruto. But he did it out of necessity and not for pleasure.

"So you want me to throw it out?" he asked, frowning at Sasuke. "I'm dating Hinata just for your sake, and you won't even let me buy you a drink?"

"First of all - I can't see how is your dating Hinata _my_ fault. Secondly - I don't care, I didn't ask you to buy me anything," he grunted, getting up from the stool. He wanted to learn _how_ Hinata contacted his ex but it appeared that Naruto knew nothing. Sasuke appreciated that he didn't bridge his privacy but, at the same time, he would be willing to sacrifice some of it to check how much Hinata knew. And what she planned to do with it.

"If you listened to me, she wouldn't have spied on you," Naruto barked. Sasuke looked over his shoulder at him. The man seemed rather upset. "I've never said it was your fault that I'm dating her but I wouldn't have been doing it if it wasn't for you."

"Why do you care?" Sasuke inquired. He couldn't quite understand the man. They had known each other for less than a month.

"I like you," the blonde mumbled under his nose. Sasuke snorted at the reply and sat back on the stool. "And you keep me worried from the moment I've met you," he grunted with more confidence. "You're really careless, you know," he continued his stupid rant.

"You're the one who's dating a stalker," he pointed out, taking a sip of margarita. It wasn't as sweet as he had expected it to be but he knew he wouldn't had ordered it on his own. "It's not the worst thing I had in here," he added.

"So you don't like sweet things," Naruto mused, oddly happy about it. Sasuke nodded, changing his position to a more comfortable one. He had to admit that he had missed the moron. "Then try this," he said, putting another glass in front of Sasuke. Sasuke eyed the cocktail, quirking his eyebrow. "It's Bee Sting," Naruto informed him.

"It contains honey, I presume?" Sasuke questioned, taking a gulp. Now he had two almost full glasses in front of himself. And, judging from what the blonde was doing, more would soon follow. The drink was quite spicy. It made Sasuke's throat feel warm and fuzzy. "Not bad," he decided. The blonde beamed at him, evidently proud of himself.

Two hours and many cocktails later, Sasuke realized that drinking all of them wasn't the best idea he had ever had. He didn't even care about the taste anymore, downing everything Naruto was preparing for him.

"So, which one do you like the most?" the blonde asked, being atrociously sober and visibly suppressing a chuckle. Sasuke fixed his eyes on him, trying to stop his head from swaying.

"I don't know," he whined. He had probably tasted every single one on the menu. Naruto would had had to pay a fortune if it wasn't for his employee discount. "The last one?"

"That was margarita. The one from the beginning," he laughed. Sasuke frowned at him. Being drunk alone sucked. He felt like falling asleep wherever but he knew that the moron would judge him for that. So he forced himself to stay awake.

"I'll get you home after my shift will be over," Naruto promised. Sasuke sneered at him. He still remembered how the last time Naruto had been walking him home ended like. "You're completely wasted," he stated knowingly.

"It's your fault," Sasuke pointed out, finally giving up and resting his head on his arms. He raised it when he felt a hand combing through his hair. "How straight of you," he mused, cocking one eye at Naruto, who responded with a sheepish smile. "You should dump Hinata," he slurred.

"I can't just _dump_ her," Naruto protested. "She's pretty desperate and you've made it worse. Besides, perhaps she will realize that I'm not the person she thinks I am, and maybe she will break up with me on her own-"

"You shouldn't have started being with her in the first place," Sasuke interrupted him. "You should've told her that you and her won't happen-"

"That would be cruel. I mean, she's in love with me. Can you imagine hearing that there's absolutely no chance that you would be with the person you like?" he questioned, shaking his head in disbelief. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and counted to one hundred. Lower numbers didn't work with Naruto. "There has to be a way of solving this peacefully..."

"Provoke her, let her attack you, go to the police," he grunted. Naruto stared at him as if he had said something unimaginable. "You'll be free."

"She's my _friend_ ," he replied in an accusing tone. "I can't do something like this to her-"

"You wanted to ask her out just to have a date for my meeting with Orochimaru. I hate to be the one to spill the beans for you but that was quite rude," he snorted. "So quit playing a boy scout and get it done."

"I didn't know she _liked_ me back then. I thought she just wanted to meet..."

"You're so fucking clueless," Sasuke whined, rubbing his eyelids. The last guests had left the pub, and Naruto was cleaning up the bar. Sasuke slumped on the couch, trying to not doze off. "How did she find my ex?" he questioned.

"I didn't ask her," the blonde shouted back. A couple of minutes later he patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "It's time to go."

"It will take you forever to walk me home and then return to yours," Sasuke pointed out. "I'll manage on my own," he decided, getting up and trying to locate his jacket.

"You can crash at my place," Naruto offered in a defeated tone. Sasuke shot the man a questioning look. "It's my fault that you're drunk," he laughed, handing Sasuke his jacket. The brunette shrugged his arms. It didn't really matter.

* * *

Naruto led Sasuke into his dorm room, feeling somewhat anxious about the mess. However, the man didn't comment on it. He was probably too drunk to care or even notice. Naruto let him keep his dignity and didn't lead him by hand but Sasuke's steps were rather wobbly, and he had almost tripped four times on his way to the room. Nevertheless, he kept on claiming that he could had done a handstand - and he would had done one if Naruto hadn't told him that doing that on a street was unhygienic. He would had probably ignored the argument of it being dangerous. Naruto smiled, watching the man take off his shoes and plop on his unmade bed.

"Are you going to be sick?" he asked pragmatically. He hoped not - he didn't have an actual bowl, and he would have to sacrifice his garbage bin. Luckily, he had been tossing only paper in there. Sasuke shook his head, his hair scattered on the pillow. "You should probably undress," he advised. The brunette stared at him in a mocking manner.

"Fine, I'll undress," he complied, taking off his shirt. Then he landed to the bed again, evidently believing that being shirtless but with his jeans still on was good enough.

"Jeans," Naruto reminded him, changing into pajama pants. Sasuke stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You have no shame," he grunted, pulling down his trousers, and taking off the socks. Then he tossed everything into a corner, and lay on his side, facing the wall.

Naruto snickered and went outside to brush his teeth. Bothering Sasuke with it would be probably pointless. To his surprise, he had been wrong. The brunette trudged into the bathroom. Naruto was about to offer him a spare toothbrush when the man kneeled in front of the toilet bowl and barfed. Well, now he _had_ to clean his teeth.

"I've literally just asked you about it," he complained. Sasuke glared daggers at him. "What's that on your back?" Naruto questioned, leaning closer. He soon regretted that decision, so he flushed the toilet and leaned again, starting to brush his teeth. Sasuke's back tensed. Between his shoulder blades there was a faint white drawing of a snake. It was almost invisible on his pale skin. "Are you in some kind of a gang?" he asked incomprehensibly. Some of the toothpaste foam ended up on Sasuke's back, and he wiped out off with his finger. The man snorted, his laugh resonating in the toilet bowl. Then his body spasmed again, and Naruto rolled his eyes. Uchiha was hopeless when it came to drinking.

"I've never been in a gang," he replied in an amused tone. "I and my friends got drunk, and we ended up with tattoos."

"So you and your friends have matching tattoos," Naruto snickered. It was difficult to imagine. Sasuke scoffed at him, and informed him that they weren't _matching_. Then he threw up for the third time.

"You're the second person to see it," Sasuke said. Naruto was glad that the man wasn't able to notice the blush that appeared on his face. For some unnamed reason the news made him happy.

"So you've gotten it yesterday," he mused. Sasuke stood up, and gave him an evil eye. "Who's the other lucky guy?" he questioned, hoping that it wouldn't be Orochimaru.

"Neji," Sasuke growled. Naruto gawked at him, trying to collect his thoughts. "He saw me changing," the brunette clarified. "Although he might have not noticed it." He accepted the toothbrush, and faced the sink. Naruto stared at the snake. The tattoo was pretty detailed. One could see every scale. He traced it with his finger. Sasuke's skin was warmer than he had anticipated it to be. Just like a snake. "Do you act like this with your other male friends?" Sasuke inquired. He sounded pissed off.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded by the question. Then he realized that he was still touching the man. And that he had been buying him drinks all night long. And that they were about to sleep together _again_. He definitely didn't act like that with his other friends. They would had thought he was crazy. "...no," he replied after a while.

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. He probably hadn't expected any answer at all. And definitely not one like this.

"Then stop," he demanded. Naruto frowned.

"I'm not hitting on you," he grunted, returning to his room. Sasuke appeared a while later, his face paler than usually. The blonde handed him the bin, and lay on the bed, close to the wall. Sasuke gave him an ugly look, and placed himself next to him, laying on his back. "I'm really not hitting on you," Naruto assured him.

"I know," Sasuke retorted, rubbing his forehead. "You don't have to repeat that over and over again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter seems sooooo slow. Like, nothing really happens in here, there's just a bunch of people /talking/. But I needed it, so I hope you'll forgive me. Thank you for kudos, subscriptions, comments and everything else :)


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke opened his eyes, his eyelids heavy and swollen. Something was ringing, and the sound was splitting his head in two. He groaned, pulling a comforter over himself, trying to muffle the noise.

"We have to wake up, classes are starting in an hour," a familiar voice informed him in a tired, formal tone. Sasuke turned on his side, and saw Naruto. Then he realized that he wasn't at his place. And that Naruto was lying half naked next to him, acting as if it was something natural. His mouth went dry as a wave of panic flooded his body. "If you're going to be sick again, turn away, I know the third time's the charm but two is enough," the blonde grunted.

"I'm not going to be sick," he replied in an offended tone, wondering what gave Naruto the right to address him in such a condescending way.

"Yeah, you've said the same thing yesterday," the moron laughed merrily. "Do you even know what you're doing here?" he inquired after a longer while, probably realizing that Sasuke wouldn't answer to the obvious taunt. Sasuke glared daggers at the man, who just let out a heavy sigh. "One day, you'll wake up without a kidney," he mused, rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning. "What would your father say," he added, chuckling. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man. True, he didn't remember some of the last evening but he doubted he would had discussed private matters with an idiot.

"That I have one more, so I'll be good," he suggested, burying his face in the pillow, and side-eying the moron. Naruto snorted at that, and Sasuke felt a hand ghosting over his head. It stopped mid-motion, and landed on the blonde's chest instead, scratching it. The man was flipping through his phone, reading some boring newsletters. Sasuke inhaled deeply, trying to distract himself with whatever else, willing his morning wood away. Sleeping next to people who shouldn't make him aroused had lost its charm a long time ago.

" _Fuck_ ," Naruto cursed, abruptly getting up, and jumping over Sasuke's still pleasantly limp body. The brunette arched an eyebrow at the sudden movement. "Hinata just texted me, she's coming here," the man clarified in a panicked tone. "She can't see you in here."

Sasuke shot him a surprised stare. Then he cackled, realizing the absurdity of the situation. In the meantime, Naruto uncovered him, and was ushering him to get up.

"Do I jump down the balcony now?" he questioned, still unable to stop himself from snickering. "And you'll toss me my clothes from the window-"

"Very funny, asshole," Naruto grunted, forcing Sasuke to lay on his back. Then he blushed like a peony, noticing a rather obvious tent in Sasuke's boxer briefs. "As if you had to make it _more_ awkward," he complained, looking away.

"It's morning," Sasuke stated in a dull voice. There was no point in acting embarrassed now. "It's a natural part of growing up. You'll see for yourself when you'll become a big boy-"

" _You_ have no shame," Naruto uttered, and disappeared behind a door leading gods knew where. Judging from the muffled sounds, it was the bathroom. Sasuke rolled his eyes, wondering why in the hell Naruto would put an emphasis on the pronoun. It made no sense. "Now I'm not even surprised that Neji's seen you naked. You're a fucking exhibitionist," the blonde shouted.

Sasuke huffed in annoyance. He was quite certain that while Neji could call him that, Naruto couldn't. After all, he was the one, who uncovered him. On the other hand, Sasuke had no idea what they could had been talking about that it ended in discussing being naked in front of Neji. Whatever it was, it was probably a rather disturbing and unpleasant topic.

"So now you're standing in the shower, thinking about me being naked," Sasuke yelled back. He heard a glass door rattle, and smiled with satisfaction. His erection was slowly dying down, and he mentally patted himself on the shoulder for not thinking about Naruto being naked. His efforts were however rendered worthless the moment Naruto emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. Sasuke gaped at his toned chest, noticing in horror a thin line of golden hair going from the man's belly button down to his... "So you're a natural blond," he muttered, hoping he didn't sound as bedazzled as he felt. The moron beamed at him in a goofy way. Then he averted his gaze, fixing his blue eyes on the wall as if it was far more interesting than Sasuke lying in his bed.

"Go take a shower, she'll be here soon," he murmured, walking up to a dresser. Sasuke got up, searching the room for his clothes. Luckily, they had just one classes today. He noticed a plastic trash bin standing next to the bed, and sighed in relief, noticing that it was empty. He got startled when Naruto shoved some clothes into his hands.

"I'm _not_ wearing orange," he uttered decidedly, glaring at a flashy t-shirt. He would much rather wear his dirty one. The blonde shook his head in disbelief, and handed him another. "Or green," he added. "This one is too big," he commented, staring at a white one. At least the color was fine. "This will have to do," he grunted, accepting a grey one.

"Glad I could help," Naruto gritted through his teeth, rubbing his forehead. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, and went into the bathroom, ignoring the obvious cue to say 'thanks.'

* * *

Naruto dressed himself, mentally hurrying Sasuke up. He was positive that if he was to do that verbally, the asshole would take even longer to shower himself. Naruto packed his bag, and cleaned up his room - as much as he was able to clean it up in so little time. Then his blood froze over when he heard a knocking on his door. He opened it, forcing a cheeky grin on his face. He just hoped that Sasuke wouldn't ruin everything by walking stark naked out of the bathroom. Because _that_ would be really difficult to explain.

"Hi," he said, beaming at his girlfriend, who smiled back at him.

"Hi," she replied, getting up on her toes, and smooching him on the cheek. Her lips were full and plump, pleasant in touch. But he didn't expect her to make a move on him. He had hoped that her shyness would make their relationship as devoid of touch as it was humanly possible. Even if she did smell amazing. Like blueberry muffins. Which happened to be Naruto's favorite dessert. The blonde frowned, realizing he would have to find himself a new favorite.

Sasuke exited the bathroom as if on cue, probably with every intention to make this encounter even more awkward. As if his hard-on hadn't been awkward enough. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. She clearly didn't expect to find Sasuke in Naruto's room. Well, to be fair, probably no-one expected to find him there. The blonde glanced at him, sighing with relief, when he noticed that the man was already dressed. Naruto's grey shirt suited him. He had probably been right when he rejected the orange one.

"Where do you keep the blow dryer?" Sasuke questioned, not bothering with greeting Hinata. Naruto didn't blame him.

"I don't have one," he informed his friend, whose nose wrinkled in disbelief. As if not having a blow dryer was a crime. "Sasuke came here to take a shower," he informed his girlfriend. Sasuke snarled, and Naruto gave him an evil eye.

"Doesn't he have his own shower?" Hinata asked. Naruto rubbed the back of his head. He didn't come this far with his back up story.

"Mine is occupied by Neji," Sasuke grunted unexpectedly, once again disappearing in the bathroom. When he walked out of it, his hair was slightly less damp. "I have to go," he said, grabbing his belongings.

"We all have to go," Naruto blubbered hastily, following him into the corridor.

He didn't want to be left alone with Hinata. She probably had an aversion towards PDAs, and Naruto didn't feel ready for any DAs. To his surprise, Hinata slipped her petite delicate hand into his, walking by his side. He accepted it, feeling rather weird. He hadn't felt like this with any of his previous girlfriends.

"How did you like the food I prepared for you?" she asked. Naruto internally facepalmed. He had completely forgotten about it. He had left it at work in the employee room. He would have to text Konan and let her know she could eat it. Wasting food was a no-go.

"It was delicious," he answered. Sasuke huffed in annoyance, standing next to them in the elevator. Naruto suppressed a chuckle, remembering the state the man had been in when he had been going up. "Why did you come here?" he asked Hinata, wondering whether the question wasn't too rude. Probably not.

"I wanted to walk you to the university," she replied quietly, her cheeks flushed. "And I bought us tickets to the movies for Saturday. We will celebrate your passing the test," she smiled courtly. Naruto's face flushed. She was really pampering him and yet it felt wrong.

"You would have to pass it to _celebrate_ it," Sasuke pointed out in a cold tone. Hinata glared at him but didn't say anything.

"Neji's been tutoring me," he grunted. "Will you-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted him.

He was walking faster than usually. It didn't bother Naruto but Hinata had problems with keeping up with them. _Probably because of her high heels_ , Naruto realized. And her legs - however proportional they were - were too short compared to theirs, so she was practically running. It couldn't be too convenient for her but she didn't complain. The blonde pouted. He was a shitty boyfriend.

"Slow down," he pleaded. Hinata beamed at him, visibly grateful. Sasuke looked over his shoulder at them, a frown forming on his face.

"No," he repeated, leaving the two of them behind. Naruto glared daggers at him, cursing his stubbornness. He had no idea what bit him and he couldn't quite ask about it while Hinata was still with them.

"I'll tutor you," she offered. Naruto glanced at her.

"Thank you," he replied louder than he had to, hoping that the asshole would get a clue. He probably didn't because he was good sixty feet ahead of them. As if they were racing. Naruto shook his head. He was sure he would be able to outrun the bastard even if he had to carry Hinata bridal style while doing that.

"Why is he wearing your shirt?" she interrogated. Naruto turned his head at her. So she didn't buy the story about him taking a shower at his place. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to come up with a better lie.

"He had to crush at my dorm yesterday," he revealed, deciding that there was nothing he could had said instead.

" _Had_ _to_ ," she repeated questioningly. Naruto refrained himself from rolling his eyes. He felt as if he had a secret lover. And it was just his friend. Girlfriends shouldn't be jealous about their boyfriends' friends.

"Yeah, it's a long story," he grunted. Telling her that he had made Sasuke drink enough to get him wasted, and then invited him to his room didn't seem like a smart move. She should had been jealous about Sakura. That would had made more sense.

The rest of the walk was equally uncomfortable. Hinata was being, as would Ino probably named it, a total sweetheart, and Naruto was wondering why she had to be a stalker. He would had liked having such a lovable creature as his girlfriend. She was kind, beautiful, smart, and cared about him a lot. When they finally reached their department, they parted their ways.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked him later, pointing at a paper coffee cup. He was sitting at his usual place, a loose sheet of paper in front of him, and some random pen in his hand.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. To him it seemed pretty obvious that the cup contained coffee. Some watered down crappy coffee. He had no idea whether actual coffee beans had been used in the process of creating this dark liquid but he supposed it did contain caffeine, and, frankly, that should had been the most important thing about it.

"Coffee," he answered. "For you," he added when he saw Sasuke shrug his shoulders. Then he took a sip from his own cup, as if to demonstrate him that it wasn't poisoned. Even if it did taste awful. "And, before you ask, yes, I would've bought a coffee to a hungover friend. Even if that friend happened to have a dick."

"Right," Sasuke muttered, his eyes slightly widened. "A coffee for a friend who has a dick," he repeated. "How did you end up studying humanities?" Naruto snorted at him. Sasuke grabbed the cup and took a sip. To Naruto's surprise he didn't frown nor comment on its bad quality.

"You didn't have to be so mean to Hinata," he said in a hushed voice. He didn't want Kiba to overhear him. The man was still angry at him for being the object of Hinata's affections. As if he had a choice in that matter. Sasuke pursed his lips, and knitted his eyebrows. It seemed that the friendly chit-chat was over.

"She's tracked down my ex," Sasuke pointed out. "I believe I've been more than nice - taking these circumstances into account," he growled. Naruto bit his lip. Sasuke wasn't wrong. But everything would be much easier if he managed to get on Hinata's good side.

"You have a point," he agreed begrudgingly. "But wouldn't it be better if you've stopped fighting?"

"We are not fighting. If she wasn't your," Sasuke paused and made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "girlfriend, I wouldn't have even bothered myself with remembering her name," he concluded. "Besides, believe me or not but you're more awkward with your girlfriend than I've been with mine," he chuckled.

"You're being really helpful," Naruto grunted unhappily.

The teacher entered the room, and they had to stop talking. He noticed Gaara giving him funny looks, so he grinned at the man. They should probably start working on their presentation.

His stomach grumbled in hunger, and he frowned. He wasn't used to not eating breakfast. Sasuke smirked at him, evidently proud of his superior digestive system. Naruto rolled eyes at the brunette. Then he let out a short loud laugh when Sasuke's stomach also grumbled. Much louder than Naruto's. The teacher gave him an angry look, and he pursed his lips, suppressing a chuckle. Sasuke's cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, and his eyes glued to the whiteboard. He was taking notes on a piece of paper he had probably borrowed from someone.

_That's karma,_ Naruto wrote on it, wiggling his eyebrows. Sasuke glared daggers at him, and crossed out his words. Kiba would had probably responded with a dick doodle. Naruto side-eyed his friend. He wondered how many dicks Sasuke had seen. And what he had done with them. Naruto cleared his throat, trying to clear his mind. He shouldn't be thinking about this. That was Sasuke's business.

Still, the question lingered at the back of his mind, supplying him with awkward mental images. The man did ask him whether they didn't... have sex after that fateful party. That meant he wasn't against random hook ups. And he would had probably went all the way with that creeper hadn't Naruto stopped him. The blonde tapped his fingers on the desktop. On the other hand, Sasuke had also said that Naruto was the second person to see his tattoo. And that the first one was Neji. It could either mean that he didn't get laid in quite some time or that nobody had seen his bare back ever since he had gotten the snake. Naruto hummed. He supposed Sasuke wouldn't have to undress completely to just have sex. Or, perhaps, he just wasn't showing his back to anyone. Someone would have to take him from behind to actually notice that-

"You're standing in my way," Sasuke hissed at him, shaking his arm. Naruto blinked, realizing that the classes were already over. And that others were already leaving. And that he had a raging erection. "Are you going to move?" the man questioned him, visibly getting more irritated with every passing second.

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled out, quickly shoving his things into the bag, and practically running out of the room.

He entered a bathroom, and splashed his face with cold water. That wasn't happening. He couldn't had gotten hard from thinking about his friend, that was absurd. Perhaps he was suffering from not getting laid. That had to be it. Because there was no way in hell that he would be attracted to another man. He had never before thought about Sasuke or any other man in that way. He was attracted to women, he was sure of it. They had always been the ones who would get him hard for no reason. Perhaps getting together with Hinata was a blessing after all. He needed to get it out of his system. Otherwise everything would get awkward and uncomfortable.

"What is wrong with you?" Sasuke asked him, his voice as dull as it could possibly get. "You're not going to faint because of a missed breakfast, are you?" he mused. Naruto shook his head violently, trying to come up with a reason for why he had to sprint to the bathroom. He looked down, relieved that his jeans didn't show too much. There was no way for Sasuke to notice anything.

"I think I might be sick," Naruto replied, trying his hardest to not look at the bastard. The said bastard apparently didn't like not being looked at because he stood right behind Naruto, his face reflecting in the mirror.

"I can't get sick now, I have plans," he complained, as selfish as ever. Naruto rolled his eyes at him. "Are you going to stand here like an idiot?" Sasuke asked after a longer pause, and Naruto started to wonder why the bastard should care. Naruto had every right to stand there as long as he wanted to. The blonde turned on his heel, ready to tell him that but at that moment the room got swarmed with students, who were heading towards the urinals. _More dicks_ , he realized in terror, and darted out. Sasuke followed him, sending him a questioning look.

"Don't you have places to be?" he growled at the brunette. "Seriously, for someone who told me to not act gay around you, you sure do it yourself-"

"I _am_ gay," Sasuke pointed out, stopping in his tracks. He seemed pissed off. As if he had a reason to be pissed off. Naruto was slowly starting to think that being pissed off was Sasuke's default mode. "And you look as you were about to faint-"

"I'm _not_ going to faint," Naruto barked at him, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't like being treated like a damsel in distress. He wasn't a damsel in distress. He was a healthy male. Having a gay friend was probably a terrible idea. He really needed to get back in touch with his straight ones. They wouldn't make him think about dicks.

"Fine," Sasuke hissed and walked away like a goddamn diva. Naruto watched him go, feeling a slight pang of guilt. It probably wasn't Sasuke's fault, the man didn't really do anything to make Naruto think about gay sex. He cursed his own stupidity, and ran after him, almost making him trip, as he used the man's shoulder to come to a halt.

"Sorry," he mumbled out. The brunette glared at him with narrowed eyes. "I just feel really sick, and get irritated for no reason," he said. It wasn't a complete lie. And Sasuke looked as if he bought it.

"Then go home and rest," he suggested, his tone somewhat less offended. Naruto beamed at him, and nodded his head. It seemed like a reasonable idea.

* * *

Sasuke opened the door to his apartment, rather surprised to not find Neji in it. He entered his room and slumped on the bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. He smelled like Naruto. And while the smell in itself was pleasant, it was also troubling.

He had no idea when he had told the moron to stop acting gay - although he was certain that it had been worded differently - but he should probably thank his drunken self for being more reasonable than his sober one. Even if he missed the random touches.

He would need to find himself a new object of fixation. Or to tuck some cotton into his ears, and ask Orochimaru out. The man was evidently still interested. And he was pretty good looking. If someone was into macabre. Sasuke rubbed his forehead. Was he into pale-faced brunettes? Probably not. Especially ones that wore a ponytail. He would had kept on thinking about his brother. And he was sure that Itachi wouldn't appreciate this. On the other hand, hooking up with Naruto's carbon copy also didn't seem like such a good idea. It would probably just weird the moron out. Besides, it didn't seem too fair to the guy - whoever that guy would be.

And Naruto probably already _was_ weirded out. He knew that Sasuke would had agreed if he had asked him out. And Sasuke had stupidly asked him whether they had fucked after the first night they had spent together. And while the moron hadn't acted as if he had been bothered by it, it seemed that it finally caught up with him. It meant that Sasuke would either have to terminate that parody of a friendship or control himself more. He cursed under his breath. None of the options was desirable.

He grabbed his computer, deciding to contact Juugo. The man had a comforting air around him. And he was another one of _what a shame that he's straight._ Sasuke smiled under his nose. It seemed that he always had to be screwed over in life. He opened his skype, and noticed that the man was offline. Well, that was to be expected. It was barely 11 am. Another contact caught Sasuke's attention. It was his ex-girlfriend. And she happened to be online.

_'Stop talking shit about me_ ,' he wrote to her. She tried to call him but he rejected it. He didn't feel like hearing her voice.

' _Is it about that girl? Because I wasn't talking shit about you,'_ she answered. Sasuke wanted to disagree with her but she was still writing something. _'I've told her that it's all over now.'_ Sasuke hummed. That still didn't give her the right to say anything about his past to some random people she met on the internet. He had no idea how Hinata was able to find her. They weren't even friends on facebook. _'btw omg you're actually hitting on a girl?!'_

_'I'm not,'_ he typed back, rather surprised by the assumption.

_'but that girl told me you were hitting on her friend, and i'm pretty certain she said "she",'_ his ex blabbered. Sasuke smirked. It seemed that she decided to drop the capital letters.

_'I'm not hitting on anyone, and Hinata's crazy,'_ he replied. _'Stop talking with her,'_ he added.

_'sorry,'_ she answered after a longer pause.

_'What did you tell her?'_ he inquired.

His ex copy-pasted the whole conversation into the chat window, and he read through it. It didn't seem too bad. Hinata had been probing, trying to find some dirt on him but all she had managed to learn was that Sasuke had a criminal record. And that in itself was pretty darn useless. Although, now he had a transcript with Hinata's name on it. Unlike all the text massages Naruto had sent him. He patted his cheek, wondering what to do with it. He could show it to Neji but he would probably turn blind eye on it, saying that it could had been tinkered with by anyone who knew how to press a spacebar.

_'Can you send me screenshots?'_ he asked, and the woman agreed. It seemed just as useless but, perhaps, it would make his asshole of a flatmate doubt his precious cousin. And that was everything he needed for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was brought to you by the word "awkward."


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto smiled at his girlfriend, who was reading through his last assignment and explaining him his errors. He was slowly getting the hang of the language. His friends helped him a lot and he owed them.

Naruto stared at Hinata, trying to focus on her breasts. He had always known that they were big but he had never noticed just _how_ big they were. Each was the size of a small cabbage. He frowned at the comparison. There was something seriously wrong with him if his girlfriend's boobs reminded him of cabbage. They were more like water balloons, he decided. Nice and soft. Totally different than Sakura's. Hers were smaller, much smaller.

Naruto sucked in a breath, forcing himself to focus. He needed to make sure that the incident today was just a brain fart. He was attracted to Hinata, right? Naruto mentally nodded his head. He was. She was soft, somewhat more on the chubby side than Sakura was but she looked really cute. The image of her full thighs still lingered at the back of his mind, a memory from the day when they all went to beach with their friends, and Hinata decided to finally show up in a swimsuit, and not in a cotton dress she used to wear there. He gulped and sighed with relief when he realized that his pants have gotten unpleasantly tight in the crotch area. _Still_ _straight,_ he repeated in his mind over and over again, feeling ridiculously grateful. He glanced at the woman, who sent him a warm smile.

Trying anything more with her would be a dick move. Even agreeing to being with her had been a dick move. And Naruto definitely didn't want to act like an even bigger scumbag.

"Naruto?" she whispered, and he realized that he hadn't been listening to her.

"Sorry, my mind drifted off," he mumbled out, scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "What were you saying?"

The woman's cheeks turned deep red. So did her neck and ears. Naruto patiently waited for her to say whatever it was that she wanted to say.

"I've said that you've gotten really good during the last three weeks," she stuttered.

"Yeah, I'm a pretty quick learner," he replied. His progress was mostly Sasuke's and Neji's doing but he wasn't going to tell her that. It would be heartless - after all, she tried really hard to tutor him as well. "And you've helped me a lot too," he smiled.

He hoped that she would relax but she became even redder. Naruto looked away, wanting to give her some time to collect herself. He had to constantly control himself in front of her. One false move, and she was turning into a stuttering mess. And Naruto discovered that his entire being apparently consisted of false moves. He wondered how others were able to put up with him. _They had to have a pretty thick skin_ , he thought.

"So, Hinata," he mumbled uncertainly, hoping that she had already calmed down. "We're invited to Neji's this Saturday. You want to come?"

She nodded furiously, playing with her fingers. Naruto remembered that she used to play with her hands back in high school. He wondered if it was a nervous tic. He hadn't seen her doing that recently - apart from now. He averted his gaze again, and started to re-read a passage from the textbook even though he had memorized it by heart.

"We'll meet there?" he proposed.

She shook her head, and opened her mouth, whispering something so quietly that he wasn't able to hear her. Telling her to repeat that louder would just fluster her, as it did countless times before. Naruto had no idea how to learn what she had wanted to tell him. Did she know that he didn't hear her? Should he let her know that he didn't? He would need to talk with Neji about it, he probably knew what to do. Her lips moved again but no sound left them. Naruto waited for her to tell him what was wrong. He didn't know if he should look at her, somewhere near her, or if he, perhaps, should tell her that she could just text him.

"We were supposed to go to the movies," she exclaimed, and then, evidently horrified by the volume of her voice, covered her mouth with hand, as if hoping that the words will crawl back.

"Right," Naruto said, happy that he finally knew what was going on. "Then we'll go there together _after_ the movies."

Hinata smiled at him, grabbed his hand, and started caressing it.

"Why did Sasuke have to crash at your place?" she questioned, and he frowned. He didn't want to think about Sasuke. Not today, at least.

"He got... drunk," Naruto muttered, leaving out the information that he had been responsible for making Sasuke drunk.

"So?" she interrogated, and he tapped his fingers on the tabletop. He didn't understand the question.

" _So_ I had to take care of him," he said, believing it to be redundant. "I couldn't leave him there, could I?"

"How did you two meet?" she asked. Naruto fiddled his fingers. Telling her that he had told him that she had been spying on him didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Well, he just came there. I mean, you know, I work in a pub, so people just kind of _come_ there. Yahiko would be screwed if they didn't-"

"There are other pubs. Much closer to where he lives," she pointed out. Naruto let out a strained sigh.

"Why do you always talk about him?" he asked. Perhaps, if he pretended that he was jealous of Sasuke, she would finally drop his topic, and leave the poor guy alone.

"Because he's a bad influence, and you two are always together-"

"He's not a bad influence, he's a nerd, who doesn't know how to drink," Naruto barked, rubbing his forehead. "Leave him be, Hinata."

"I think he _likes_ you," she stated, looking away. Naruto rolled his eyes, suppressing a snort. If Sasuke _liked_ him then he sure had a weird way of showing that.

"He knows that I'm straight," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation. "And he's going out with some creeper, so I guess that he _likes_ him more."

"And that's why he's always with _you_ ," she said in an accusing tone.

Naruto shook his head, feeling defeated. First Sasuke accused him of not being straight, and now even his girlfriend began to question him. Not to mention all those people, who believed that he and Sasuke were basically a couple. Naruto blinked, his pupils widening in sudden realization. He was completely responsible for all of that. A stupid joke that went too far.

"He's not here _now_ ," he pointed out. Hinata's face turned red again. He leaned closer, shooting her a goofy grin.

"...you've wanted him to be," she reminded him uncertainly, her voice breaking. Naruto cursed mentally, and rested his head on the table. It was a total disaster.

"I don't want to fuck him," he muttered. He side-eyed his girlfriend, who gasped in utter terror. Naruto wondered if she really was so taken aback by a simple swear word.

"I've never said that you'd like to-" she stuttered.

"Then it doesn't matter, does it?" he questioned. She nodded, too flustered to answer him verbally.

* * *

Sasuke sat in front of Orochimaru, determined to finally get over the idiot. He had been able to want to screw the man senseless before, and he was certain that he would be able to repeat the stunt. All he needed was alcohol. Lots of it. Whatever it took to make him believe that the man's voice wasn't the worst thing in existence. And that he didn't look like his brother.

Orochimaru had been pleasantly surprised when Sasuke had asked him out, and it was obvious that he had been hoping for something. To make matters worse, Naruto and the redhead from their year were also in the pub. It seemed that the moron decided to relax before the test. Sasuke sighed. He had hoped that Naruto would be absent since he didn't have the Thursday shift. He downed a shot of booze, and his mouth watered. Great. It definitely wasn't his day.

"Is something wrong?" Orochimaru asked, playing with his hair. He had nice cheek bones, Sasuke decided.

"No," he answered without hesitation, straightening one of his legs, and resting it on Orochimaru's to test the waters. The man didn't shift his position. Sasuke smirked, and poured himself another glass. He just needed to numb his mind and senses. And after that everything would come back to normal.

He noticed Naruto glaring at him. He had no idea why the blonde hated Orochimaru so much. The age gap wasn't so big. And it wasn't as if the man was able to take any advantage of him. Sasuke wasn't his student. He didn't have any leverage. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and downed another glass. It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

Naruto glared at the man, hoping that one day his eyes will develop an ability to kill people on sight. Sasuke was hanging on the man's arm, unable to stand at all, and his creeper seemed annoyed by it. Naruto squinted at the man to let him know about the extent of his despise towards him.

"You're his friend, right?" the man inquired in a cool tone. "I'll leave him in your care," he uttered, and practically shoved Sasuke on the empty seat next to Naruto. The brunette was so wasted that he didn't even change his obviously uncomfortable position.

"We'll take care of him," Gaara grunted.

The creeper nodded, and walked away, evidently believing that he had fulfilled his duty. Naruto glanced at his passed out friend. Then he sighed, and made him sit straight. He was supposed to relax, have one beer with Gaara, and go home. Somehow, he ended up babysitting Sasuke.

"You're drunk," he stated in an accusing tone. Sasuke opened one eye, and stared at him as if he had never seen anything in his entire life. As if he didn't know how eyes worked. "You're always drunk," he added, not discouraged by the lack of response.

"We should get him home," Gaara said, tilting his head. Naruto huffed. "I would do it myself but I don't know where he lives."

"Don't worry about it, I can take him," Naruto fumed. "I always do that," he added. "At least the whole family's together," he laughed, trying to lift the mood. "Young man, you're being very irresponsible," he lectured Sasuke, who lay on his side, placing his legs - together with his muddy shoes - on Naruto's lap. "You're _so_ going to wash this," the blonde complained, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's fucking obnoxious."

"Perhaps you were right about grounding him," Gaara murmured, staring at Sasuke. He took a sip of his bitter drink. Naruto admired him for not frowning. Maybe drinking gin with tonic was a way to prove one's masculinity. He himself was a sucker for sweet things. "But at least you know that the guy isn't as bad. I mean, you could do everything with him when he's like this," he smiled. Naruto grinned back at him, and leaned over Sasuke, placing a paper umbrella in his hair. "Is that all you can think of?" Gaara questioned, arching his almost nonexistent eyebrow.

"If I did anything more, he'd be bitching about it for the next week," Naruto replied, crossing his arms behind his head. He noticed that Sasuke's wallet was almost falling out of his jeans pocket, so he shoved it back in. "I wonder what's in that picture," he said. Gaara shrugged his arms, letting him know that he too had no idea what it could be. Naruto was tempted to take a look at it but fought the urge. He wouldn't be much different from Hinata if he was snooping on Sasuke while he was practically unconscious.

"He looks kind of cute," Gaara said. Naruto shot him a shocked stare. Then his expression softened, and he smiled at the redhead.

"He's not so cute when he's barfing, though," he replied. Sasuke grunted something incomprehensible, and Naruto turned his head at him.

"Shut up," Sasuke whined, covering his ear. The blonde grinned at him, and pinched his side. It didn't make Sasuke happier. "Get lost."

" _Really_ cute," Naruto chuckled. He wondered if Gaara was interested in Sasuke. He hoped not. He would get third wheeled in a blink of an eye. Besides, it would be unfair, they were _his_ friends, they didn't even know one another. And they probably wouldn't even work together. They would just sit awkwardly, not talking to one another. That wouldn't make sense. "Makes you think of puppies."

"I wouldn't go this far," Gaara snorted. Naruto doubled over as Sasuke shifted in his slumber, kicking him in the stomach. "I think he did that on purpose," the redhead mused, finishing his drink. "Fine, let's take him home. He lives with your friend, right?"

"Yeah but that's pretty far away," the blonde replied, rubbing his temple. He gave Gaara the address, and the man hummed under his nose. Neither of them wanted to go there and back again. It would take them almost two hours to return to their homes.

"Well, there's no helping it now," Gaara complained, and approached Sasuke. Then he forced his eyes open. The brunette growled in reply, evidently not used to such rough treatment. "Hey sleepyhead," Gaara said in a mocking voice. "We're taking you home."

"Piss off, you're not taking me anywhere," Sasuke grunted, and turned to other side. Naruto suppressed a laugh, and patted the brunette on the cheek, trying to wake him up. "Fucking Naruto," Sasuke mumbled out as if he was a scientist discovering a new type of a deadly virus. "Why does it always have to be you?" he slurred.

"It's my bad luck," Naruto replied, offended. "Now get your ass up, I'm taking you home."

"Where's Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked, raising himself on elbows. Then he noticed where his legs were, and Naruto showed him a nasty shoe print. "Sorry," he blurted out, not sounding sorry. "I will get home on my own," he added.

"Orochimaru left you with us because you've passed out," Gaara informed him. Sasuke frowned at that, and Naruto felt sorry for him. Being ditched by a creeper sounded like a serious threat to anyone's self esteem. "You're in no condition to go home alone but you can stay at my place."

Naruto glanced at Gaara, feeling ridiculous. He knew that the man wouldn't try anything funny with Sasuke but the idea still seemed awful.

"You don't want that, he will throw up all over your bed," he blurted out hastily. Gaara side-eyed him. Naruto felt the palms of his hands sweating. Oh great, now Gaara will also think that he had a thing for the asshole.

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Sasuke growled at him. "And I'm going home alone so fuck off. Both of you." Naruto backed off, letting Sasuke almost-stand-up. He forced himself to look disinterested even when the brunette almost tripped over the table, and fell back on the couch, mumbling out curses. "Fine, take me home," he grunted, looking away. Naruto gestured Gaara to grab Sasuke by his other shoulder and help him up.

"You're heavy as fuck," Naruto noticed.

"And you're stupid," Sasuke replied, his head swaying to sides. His fingers dug into Naruto's arm.

"That was a truly brilliant comeback," Gaara muttered under his nose.

They went outside, and it seemed that the cold air sobered Sasuke up. They stood there awkwardly for a while, slowly realizing that hauling the man home on foot would be a rather tedious task. Finally, Gaara said that they should order a cab, and Naruto agreed with him. The redhead once again offered to take care of Sasuke on his own, arguing that Naruto should get some sleep before tomorrow's test. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke protested against it.

"Just stay at my place," he whined. "One more time won't make a difference. And I could tutor you in the morning."

" _Right_. And at night we will share secrets over a cup of hot cocoa," Naruto snickered. "In the morning you're going to be hungover, and you probably won't even remember that I've brought you home. Not to mention that you won't feel like tutoring me."

"I don't have any cocoa," he complained. "Why do you need cocoa? That's stupid-"

"I'll stay at your place," Naruto relented, suffering from a second hand embarrassment. Gaara looked at him over Sasuke's hung head, visibly suppressing a laugh. Naruto shook his head to let him know that he also had no idea what got into the man. "Is Neji home?" he asked. It wasn't too late so there was a chance that he would open them. Sasuke shook his head. "Give me your keys." The brunette let out a tired noise, reached to his pocket, fishing for them, and handed them to Naruto. "Don't get sick in the cab," he lectured Sasuke, who just glared at him.

The road to Sasuke's place was tiring at best, and absolutely horrible at worst. Of course, they had to ask the cabby to stop after just ten minutes because Sasuke was getting greener in the face with every passing second. Then Naruto told Gaara to go home because there was no reason to ruin both of their evenings. Gaara, unfortunately, agreed. So then it was just him and Sasuke who probably wouldn't care if Naruto threw him on some park bench and left him there. Hell, there was a possibility that he would had welcomed that because he evidently didn't feel like walking.

"I didn't know you whine so much," Naruto barked, pulling Sasuke with him.

"I don't whine," he slurred, almost tripping on a cracked sidewalk. Naruto caught him mid-fall, and forced him to stand up properly again. Sasuke stared at him, his black eyes unfocused and shifty. "Why do you have to be straight?" he mumbled out. Naruto glared at him, absolutely terrified. That _wasn't_ happening. A blush crawled up his cheeks, tinting his neck and ears in deep red along its way there. "We would've been good together," Sasuke complained, swinging his arm for no reason at all. Or to add to the dramatic effect of his words. Naruto wasn't able to say.

"You must be really wasted, saying something so silly-"

"It's not silly," Sasuke disagreed, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder. "Or maybe it is," he added after a longer while, hiccuping.

Naruto's heart pounded in his chest, threatening to jump out of it with every heartbeat.

"You wouldn't have said that if you weren't drunk," he pointed out uncertainly. Sasuke laughed into his arm.

"I can't say you're not right about this," he admitted. "You're still going to stay for the night, right?" he inquired.

Naruto bit his bottom lip, considering his options. He could either walk Sasuke home, and then return to his dorm, what would take him ages but save him from embarrassment or spend the night at Sasuke's, sparing the man's feelings and wanting to be swallowed by the ground.

"I'm not going to make a move on you, I never have-" Sasuke growled, spitting out words as if they were bullets and his mouth a semi-automatic.

"I'll stay," he said. "Sasuke," he whispered, and the man shot him a quizzical look. "You know you won't remember saying that in the morning?"

"Probably," he admitted. "But don't get your hopes up, I just like your ass-"

" _Right_ ," Naruto interrupted him. "I just wanted to ask you whether you want me to remind you about it-"

"Hell no," Sasuke snorted. Naruto frowned at him. He really was a selfish asshole. "Just forget about it. _I_ sure will," he added, cackling.

* * *

Sasuke woke up, his mouth unpleasantly dry. He turned on his other side to find the bed empty. For some strange reason, he didn't expect it to be empty. Since he had met Naruto, the blond moron had always found a way to materialize right by his side the moment Sasuke would suffer from a total blackout. And he did have a faint memory of talking with Naruto.

He got up from his bed, and headed towards the kitchen, where, to his surprise, Naruto was already sitting, eating a sandwich, and drinking coffee. Sasuke stared at him questioningly, and the blonde waved at him, his mouth full of unchewed food. Sasuke shrugged in disgust.

"I've been wondering when you'll get up," he exclaimed. It felt like a drill probing Sasuke's skull. "You've promised me some revising," he added, sending Sasuke a mocking look.

 _"Halt die Klappe,"_ he growled, sitting in front of Naruto. The smell of his sandwich invaded Sasuke's nostrils, and his stomach twisted in a knot, threatening to spill its contents all over the table.

"And cocoa," he mused. Sasuke glared at him but Naruto didn't notice a mute warning. "You've promised me hot cocoa, Sasuke."

" _Du bist ein schlechter Lügner_ ," the brunette chuckled, his stomach calming down. Perhaps there was a chance that he wouldn't be throwing up today. He had a harsh reality check, when he had to storm out to the toilet the moment Naruto offered him a piece of his breakfast. "I would have never promised you cocoa," he said, feeling somewhat better after returning from the bathroom. "If you want to bullshit me, think of something more probable."

"You've said I have a nice ass," the blonde gritted through his teeth, his eyes narrowed. Sasuke gawked at him, almost forgetting to blink and breathe.

"Nice try," he replied uncertainly, forcing himself to sustain the eye contact and appear as chilled out as it was only possible. Air became significantly heavier, and earth began to spin at an unprecedented speed. "But-"

"You totally fell for it," the blonde burst out laughing, and Sasuke had to refrain himself from kicking the idiot's chair under the table. The image of Naruto plastered on the floor and in pain soothed his wracked nerves. He forced himself to smile back at the moron, who apparently had the time of his life, grinning like a madman.

"You're the last person whose arse I would compliment," he muttered back, quite disconcerted by the strange look Naruto gave him. The blonde's words hit way too close to home.

"Your date ditched you," he informed him in a dull tone. "You're lucky that me and Gaara were there or else that asshole would have left you wherever."

Sasuke clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. So it hadn't been Naruto rushing to his rescue for no reason at all, it had been Orochimaru being a total dick.

"Where's Gaara?" he asked instead. If there was three of them, then Naruto being the only one to stay with him seemed rather strange. He could had went back with his other friend. "Why are you here?"

"Gaara's home, I presume. And you've asked me to stay with you. We're having these sleepovers way too often, don't you think? At least we've made a whole circle, returning to your apartment-"

"My room," Sasuke corrected the blonde, who shook his head.

"Your apartment. I've slept in Neji's room. I mean, it was empty-" the blonde blabbered incoherently, and Sasuke stopped listening to him. Whatever had happened last night, it couldn't had been anything good. He rubbed his temples, wondering whether the situation could still be saved.

"Have I done something yesterday?" he asked, interrupting Naruto's word vomit.

"You've muddied my pants with your shoes-"

"Anything more serious?" he questioned, staring at the flustered moron. So something did happen. "Anything I should apologize for?" he probed. The idiot loved hearing people tell him they were sorry.

"Nothing," Naruto blurted out. "But what's on your mind?" he tried to joke, forcing a smile on his face.

"It's going to be more awkward if I won't know," Sasuke pointed out. The blonde heaved a heavy sigh.

"You've told me to _not_ tell you," Naruto answered. Well, that was troubling. "And what happens with drunk Sasuke, is drunk Sasuke's business, so-"

"This is stupid," he muttered, feeling completely deflated. The idiot was his only way to know what had happened and he refused to let him know because of some silly promise he had made, when Sasuke had still been intoxicated. That didn't make sense.

"You're just worrying too much," Naruto dismissed him. "You didn't do anything you should be apologizing for, so get over it." Sasuke glared daggers at him, and the moron rolled his eyes. " _Fine,_ you've complimented my ass. That's it," he grunted, looking away.

Sasuke stared at him without saying a word, uncertain whether he should laugh or cry. Naruto was incurably prude.

"It's not so great," he said eventually, suppressing a chuckle. The blonde cocked one eye at him in mock offense.

"It's magnificent," he uttered decidedly. "You couldn't keep your eyes off of it-"

"My vision must have gotten pretty blurry then," he replied, somewhat relieved when Naruto kicked him in shin under the table. It seemed that everything went back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I'm sad because I've been naming my word files for this fic UF+the number of the chapter, and up till now it's been UF01, UF02, etc., and now you can probably see why I'm so sad. It'll no longer be an UFO, it will be some silly UF10. ;(


	10. Chapter 10

Naruto smiled bitterly, doing the examination sheet. Perhaps he would be able to pass the damn thing after all. He understood everything, and he knew everything. The only problem was the mess in his head, which made him lose his focus every couple of minutes. Because now it turned out that Sasuke _liked_ Naruto. Just like Hinata had prophesied it. He had no idea why she knew and he didn't.

It seemed like a lot of trouble. Their relationship would have to change but, at the same time, since Sasuke wasn't aware of his drunken confession, nothing should really change. Because then Sasuke would just get upset, and Naruto preferred to avoid it at all costs. It was just his luck that the brunette had asked him to stop acting so gay with him because he at least had an excuse.

It was freaking him out. He would have to become much more careful with what he would say and do from now on. Fake, almost. Just like with Hinata. He had no idea what made people like him but he was certain that their reasons had to be insane.

He scribbled an answer, and stole a glance at Sasuke. The man seemed bored but he was taking his notes, just like always. Such a diligent student. Naruto smiled to himself. It was kind of disarming to see him do something he didn't even have to do. It was clear that Sasuke didn't need the course. And that he didn't need any notes. Sasuke caught Naruto staring, and arched an eyebrow in a mute question. Naruto shook his head, dismissing his friend's concerns. He would pass, he was sure of it. The brunette gestured him to go back to his test, and Naruto obeyed.

* * *

Sasuke waited for Naruto to get out of the room. It seemed that this time he did much better on his test. But that was to be expected. Now he would have to start worrying about the next one.

"I think I've passed," the moron exclaimed immediately after he walked into the corridor. The redhead from their year patted him on the shoulder. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. It seemed that Naruto had a habit of getting unnecessarily close to other men. "Geez, you have no idea how great it is to finally have it off my chest-"

"We've had it off our chests for the last week," Sasuke pointed out. The redhead sent him a dirty look.

"You've said I wouldn't be able to do it. I've told you I'll make you eat your words," Naruto replied, completely unfazed by Sasuke's remark.

"I've made you do it. It doesn't count," Sasuke disagreed, handing the moron his notebook. Naruto eyed it as if he expected it to blow into his face. "Notes from today," he stated the obvious. "You may want to copy them," he suggested after a while. The blonde was still gaping at him. As if he did something unimaginable. "Give it back to me on Monday," he ordered, deciding that waiting for a reply was hopeless.

"Monday? You're not coming to Neji's party?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head, ignoring the disappointed look on the blonde's face. He didn't want to be at a party together with Hinata. He generally planned to avoid that woman like fire.

Sasuke had shown Neji the screenshots, and his flatmate promised that he would look into it. At least _now_ he believed Sasuke. And he seemed pretty concerned about Naruto. That was a good sign. Perhaps this whole issue would get finally solved. Because it was obvious that Naruto himself didn't plan to do anything about it at all.

* * *

Sasuke unlocked his and Neji's apartment, and quietly went inside, not wanting to wake up his flatmate. Every once in a while he would try to be more considerate of the asshole's needs. And this time the asshole had definitely earned it. Sasuke noticed Lee sprawled on the couch, snoring. The living room was cluttered with empty bottles and dirty glasses; it smelled of sugar and booze, and Sasuke was more than glad that he wasn't hungover. Finally.

He entered his room, his eyes widening in shock when he noticed that his bed was occupied. His eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Hey," he growled, shaking Neji awake. The man glanced at him, and then, probably on his mission to annoy Sasuke further on, returned to sleep. "Get out of here," he snarled. Tenten woke up, and she didn't seem too troubled by lying in someone else's bed.

"Naruto's in Neji's room," she complained. "And you were supposed to come back later-"

"This is _my_ room," Sasuke pointed out, deciding that Neji didn't deserve any consideration. It was obvious that the man was unable to give any of it back. He sighed, and walked out of his room, planning on waking Naruto up and throwing him out. He wanted to sleep, not argue with his asshole of a flatmate. This could be done later.

"Oi," he shouted after flinging Neji's door open. His mood got even crappier when Hinata raised her head from Naruto's bare chest, staring at him questioningly. "Get the fuck out of here, I want to sleep," he hissed.

Her face got redder, and he realized that her shoulders were also bare. Taking into account the size of her chest, she was probably naked. Sasuke clenched his fist. Fucking moron had to fuck his fucking stalker. Sasuke retreated into the living room, and sat on a chair, trying to collect his thoughts. It was a goddamn disaster. A moment later Hinata emerged from Neji's bedroom, wearing Naruto's t-shirt and some jeans. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, feeling anger flood him. He was done with all of them.

"I'm moving out," he yelled, kicking his own door. He grabbed his suitcase, and decided to just leave without worrying about the rest of his stuff. He would collect it later.

Apparently, that was exciting enough to wake Neji up. He emerged from Sasuke's bedroom, rubbing his eyes, and grasped Sasuke's arm, stopping him from going anywhere.

"Relax," he grunted.

"Don't touch me," Sasuke snarled at him, freeing his arm from the other man's grip.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked in a sleepy tone. It seemed that everyone came for the show. "Hey, I've been looking for that shirt," he complained, seeing Hinata wearing it. The woman sent him a sheepish smile, playing with her fingers.

"I couldn't find mine," she stuttered. Naruto stared at her wide-eyed, his face getting paler. Sasuke cursed under his breath. It seemed that after all it was the moron who was more prone to waking up without a kidney.

"Congratulations, you've fucked your stalker," Sasuke cackled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'll forward your number to local sex offenders, they'll be thrilled to meet such a fucking idiot-"

He was interrupted by Neji's fist, which connected with his jaw, leaving it stingy, swollen and pulsating with blunt pain. Sasuke didn't expect that but he acted on his reflexes, hitting the asshole back, and grabbing him by his precious long hair, threatening to pull all of them out.

"Hey, stop," Naruto exclaimed in a terrified tone, grabbing Sasuke's wrists, and trying to force him to let go of Neji. "Sasuke, stop," he shouted.

The noise woke Lee up. The man looked around, and, probably deciding that Sasuke was attacking his friend, charged at Sasuke. To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto stopped him. To do that, he had to free one of his wrists, and Sasuke used the newly gained freedom to pull Neji's hair. The man yelped in pain, much to Sasuke's satisfaction.

"I've told you he's bad influence," Hinata whispered. Tenten stood behind the girl, and hugged her, assuring her that everything would end well. Sasuke's blood boiled with fury. He was _so_ done with all of them.

"Can we all just calm down?" Naruto pleaded. "Sasuke, stop pulling Neji's hair out-"

"He hit me first," Sasuke growled. They were all insolent. He had came home to find his bed occupied, his friend in a stalker's embrace, and just seconds ago he had been hit for no reason whatsoever.

"Yes, I know but we can't just stay like this-" Naruto tried to argue but Neji was faster. He elbowed Sasuke in the groin, probably deciding that it was worth risking getting bald.

"You fucker," Sasuke snarled, letting go of him, and doubling over as pain resonated through his body. He recovered after a short while, ready to get back on the asshole. He got rammed into a wall by Naruto instead. Sasuke swung his arm at the blonde who stopped him mid-motion. "Piss off-"

"Let's just talk it out, all right-"

"I'm not talking with any of you," he yelled. He noticed that Neji was struggling to free himself from Lee's iron grip. It appeared that he was just as ready for a fight as Sasuke was. "I'll beat you into a pulp," he threatened Neji, simultaneously looking for a way out. Naruto wasn't _attacking_ him, he had just pushed him into a wall - and, unfortunately, keeping him in place with his body. He smelled of digested vodka and sweat; it was repulsive.

"Sasuke, look, I'm sorry that your room was occupied, it's my fault," Naruto said. Somehow, he was able to keep his cool. "I'll make it up to you-"

"Get away from me, you fucking stink," he hissed back. He had no idea how the idiot planned to make up to him for getting elbowed in crotch, returning to a messed up home, and finding out that the idiot decided to fuck his stalker.

"It's not like you always smell of flowers either," Naruto grunted, slightly offended. "You can't beat up Neji, so calm do-"

"I sure can beat up Neji, just fucking watch me," Sasuke growled back. This, for some reason, made Naruto want to facepalm but, since his hands were busy with holding Sasuke, he placed his head against the wall above Sasuke's arm, and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I'm pretty sure I _didn't_ fuck Hinata," he whispered almost inaudibly.

"I couldn't care less about whom you fuck," Sasuke hissed in a hushed tone.

"I can't say I believe you," Naruto replied quietly. Sasuke could feel the other male's muscles tensing, and that was a torture. Whenever he had imagined the blonde tensing because of him, he definitely didn't envision it happening in a room full of people. People, who probably believed Sasuke was burdened with some petty jealousy. He also had no idea as to why Naruto wouldn't believe him. "Your cheek is swelling up. I'll back off, get something cold for you, and then we'll go to my place because it's rather obvious that you and Neji shouldn't be left together now," he stated in a normal voice. Sasuke clenched his fists at that.

"Don't you fucking dare to patronize me," he snarled.

"I'll take Neji," Tenten decided. Sasuke glared at her but that didn't seem to impress her. Neji, on the other hand, glared back at him. Sasuke smirked, glad that his opponent didn't falter.

"He's the one who wanted to move out," Neji growled.

"Neji, we're leaving," Tenten uttered, pulling him towards his bedroom, probably to get him dressed. Sasuke smiled, and made a whip cracking sound.

"Sasuke, you're too smart to act like an idiot," Naruto complained but Sasuke didn't pay much attention to him.

His taunt worked. Neji freed himself and charged at Sasuke, shoving Naruto away. The blonde clearly didn't expect an attack from behind, and almost tripped. Sasuke, however, saw it coming, and he was more than happy when his fist connected with Neji's jaw, sending him to the floor. He straddled the man, and grabbed his wrists, pinning him down. He could hear some shouts and curses but that was pretty much the last thing he cared about.

Up until Naruto pulled him away, and they both fell back, Sasuke landing on Naruto's lap. He blinked in surprise as he felt an obvious boner poking his ass. Sasuke tried to free himself but Naruto kept him in place, his arms embracing his lower abdomen. That was definitely embarrassing. Neji shot him a hateful glare as his girlfriend helped him up.

"You guys go, and I'll take care of him," Naruto mumbled out. He didn't sound like himself. And his erection wasn't dying down. If anything, it became even more prominent. "Hinata, you too," he added after a longer while, his face buried in Sasuke's back. Sasuke sent the stalker a mocking stare. She didn't seem too happy about what had just happened.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Sasuke inquired after they were left alone, suppressing a chuckle as Naruto pushed him away. "Oh, so I can be your boner cover but now you're just tossing me away?" he snorted, standing up, and heading towards the couch.

"It's not like this-"

" _Of_ _course_ it isn't. You're just having a random boner," he mused sardonically. Naruto tossed him a bag of frozen peas, and Sasuke had no idea whether he should rescue his jaw or his groin. He eventually placed it on his crotch, mostly to unnerve Naruto more. The blonde rolled his eyes, and walked up to him with a frozen meat in his hand. Sasuke hissed as it touched his swollen cheek. It was way too cold to provide him any comfort.

"It _is_ random. And now, can you explain why you're being such an ass?" Naruto questioned, pressing the ham harder. Sasuke could swear that if he removed it, a piece of his cheek would fall off with it. They were probably frozen to one another. "You're already bruised," Naruto complained.

"I fail to see how is that your business," Sasuke barked back. "It's between me and Neji. And he made the first blow-"

"He hit you because you've compared his cousin to a sex offender," Naruto interrupted him. Sasuke laughed, shaking his head.

"His _cousin_ is your _girlfriend,_ " he pointed out. " _You_ should've hit me. Hinata must be _so_ happy with you. You're always ready to defend her honor. And you didn't ditch her right after your first fucking to spend your day with a gay friend you're getting hard for," he continued, glad that it made a blond eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"You're being obnoxious," Naruto sighed. "I didn't have sex with her-"

"I don't care," Sasuke snapped. The adrenaline had left him, and the right side of his jaw hurt like a bitch. Not to mention his aching groin. He refrained himself from doubling over in pain in some vain attempt to not lose his face in front of the moron. As if it mattered. "You didn't say you're not getting hard for me," Sasuke reminded Naruto.

"This whole thing going on between us is awkward enough without your comments," the blonde whispered.

"What is going on between us?" Sasuke questioned. The pain in his testicles was _finally_ subsiding. He almost sighed in relief.

"I have no idea," Naruto admitted. Sasuke gawked at him. He had definitely expected a different answer. A definite one - _we're friends_ or some other bullshit. "But I know that I don't want to lose it because of something stupid."

"Your relationship with Hinata is stupid. End it," Sasuke grunted, trying to collect his thoughts. It was possible that the moron wasn't as straight as he thought himself to be. _And_ he was aware of it.

"It's not so easy," he retorted. An awkward silence fell on them. Sasuke nudged in his spot. They used to be quiet together before but only now it seemed weird. There was a feeling that there were things they wanted to say but didn't dare to. Before, it was always clear that they simply didn't have anything to say at the moment. "I've heard you were home. How was it?" Naruto asked, looking away. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"My aunt was busy with work, and my brother was absent as always. It was pretty boring," he replied. Naruto's eyes shot up in curiosity.

"You have a brother?" he inquired pointlessly. Sasuke nodded his head. He was guessing that Naruto was an only child. He felt somewhat sorry for the blonde. Having a brother - or, to be more precise - having Itachi as his brother was one of the best things that could had ever happened to him. "How is he?"

"He worries too much but he's great," Sasuke admitted. "And he's probably a saint," he chuckled. "I've used to sleep with him in one bed for over a year after-" he stopped mid-sentence, wondering what possessed him that he had considered saying that. He stole a quick glance at Naruto, who, to his relief, didn't look as if he was going to laugh. He cleared his throat, and continued. "I was fourteen when it started so it had to be infuriating."

"He sounds really great," Naruto said. "And I doubt that he has ever considered you infuriating," he added, sending Sasuke a warm smile. Sasuke smiled back, feeling stupid for having said anything.

"Yeah, I guess," he grunted. "What about you?"

"Sometimes I do find you infuriating," he chuckled. Sasuke frowned, and the blonde put a serious expression on his face. "My former teacher adopted me, so there is just two of us. He's a real worrywart as well."

"I've told you something embarrassing about me, common courtesy demands to repay with the same," Sasuke mused, side-eying Naruto, who, for no reason whatsoever, flushed.

"We were supposed to share secrets over a cup of hot cocoa," he tried to joke. Sasuke deadpanned at him, and Naruto cleared his throat. "This isn't the first time whenI'vegottenhardforyou," he whispered. Sasuke knitted his eyebrows. He had no idea what the man said.

"What?" he asked. Whatever it was, it had to be something good because Naruto right now could rival Hinata when it came to the level of redness of their faces.

" _This,_ " Naruto repeated, pointing to his crotch, "isn't the first time-"

"Congratulations?" Sasuke said uncertainly. The blonde rolled his eyes at him, and suddenly it clicked. "Oh."

" _Oh_ ," Naruto grunted back, staring at a wall in front of him. Even his ears were red. Sasuke smiled. It was good news. Very good news. "And even _now_ , when you have a ham on your face and freaking frozen peas in your crotch, and you look absolutely ridiculous-"

"That's a weird kink to have but here I am, indulging your fantasies," Sasuke snorted, interrupting the blonde.

"You're just being mean," Naruto complained. "I'm confused, all right? This is confusing, you're confusing, and-"

"Sorry," Sasuke replied quietly.

They sat in silence for the next twenty minutes. The peas was almost unfrozen by then but Sasuke refused to move from the couch. They were in a limbo but it was a _nice_ limbo. Theoretically, there was a way out. A way out that Sasuke would really like. And, apparently, Naruto was willing to admit his attraction. That had to be a huge step for him. Especially on such a short notice.

"What do you want to do with Neji?" Naruto inquired. He sounded unnecessarily formal.

"I have no idea. I think I should move out but I don't have a place to go to, so..." he pondered. He shrugged when he felt Naruto rest his forehead on his shoulder. "You should really take a shower. You smell like shit," Sasuke chuckled.

"You look like shit but I'm not complaining," Naruto retorted, burying his face in Sasuke's arm. "You could stay at my place for a night or two but I can't have you for much longer," he offered. "Are you angry at Neji? Because I think that he's already fine with what happened between you two. He's not the type to hold grudge for too long-"

"Tell Hinata about it," Sasuke mused. "You've said he was bullying her for _years_. Not that I'm afraid of him, I could beat him up again-"

"Yeah, you were doing _great_ ," Naruto snorted, finally raising his head. "What were you planning to do at the end? Bite him?"

Sasuke frowned. There were many things he could do. Like head-butting the asshole and breaking his nose. At least then they would be even. He eyed the peas.

"Are you staying for dinner?" he asked, grabbing the bag and the ham.

"Holy shit, you really do look awful," Naruto exclaimed, staring at his face. At least he was smart enough to not touch it. "And no, eating something that was lying on your dick doesn't sound very enticing."

Sasuke clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Well, the peas originally belonged to Neji, so he could just toss it back into the freezer. It should be still edible. And if it wasn't... Well, that would be even better. He wouldn't mind Neji getting a food poisoning. Sasuke's face and crotch temperature was slowly getting back to normal, and that was a rather unpleasant feeling. The pain was returning.

"To be honest, Sasuke, I didn't keep you on my lap to conceal my boner, I did that to stop myself from hitting Neji," Naruto said unexpectedly. "Seriously, ever since I've met you, you keep me worried. You always get yourself involved in some stupid shit-"

"You should at least wear a t-shirt," Sasuke said. He didn't want to think about what Naruto told him. It wouldn't be smart. "And stop hugging me, you have a girlfriend," he added. The blonde frowned at him but moved away. Sasuke sighed. Neji was supposed to solve that issue but it was just an empty promise. "Whom you've just fucked-"

"I _didn't_. And for someone who claims that he doesn't care about it, you sure mention it a lot," Naruto complained, rubbing his temples. "Before you'll say that you don't care _again_ , let me inform you that I went to sleep almost completely sober. I was just tired-"

"Then why didn't you return home?" Sasuke questioned.

"Because I was _really_ tired," Naruto repeated. "I wanted to take a nap and go back later but, well, it seems that nobody woke me up," he smiled bitterly. "We were just sleeping in one bed. But hey, the first time _we_ did it, you also thought that we've fucked," he snorted. "You know, Sasuke, sometimes people just _sleep_ together-"

"Are you certain you want to have me at your place?" he asked, interrupting the blonde.

"You're my friend, of course I want to have you there," Naruto barked, almost offended by the insinuation. Sasuke tilted his head. He didn't plan to stay with Naruto for longer than a day or two but, still, for some reason it didn't sound like a terrible idea. And it should had. "Pack whatever you need, and I will take a shower," Naruto decided, getting up from the couch. He had a really nice body. His back muscles were probably perfect.

"Use Neji's shampoo," Sasuke said, and the blonde laughed, nodding in agreement. It would be long two days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, thank you for all the wonderful comments and kudos :D I've never expected that this story would interest so many people, really, I've thought it was just another college/university AU, and, since it was done /so/ many times, you would get bored by this :D But hey, you're still reading this :D Thank you very much :)
> 
> (omg, I'm using /so/ many emojis when I'm talking, gods, this is embarrassing)


	11. Chapter 11

There was a faint sound of knocking on the doors. Sasuke turned on his other side, eying them. Naruto had left to prepare his presentation with Gaara, and Sasuke was left alone in his room. He didn't mind it, he wanted to sleep anyways. Even if he knew that it would leave him restless at night, and that he should probably avoid that if he was rooming with someone. The knocking became more annoying. It seemed that the person behind the doors wouldn't just go away. Sasuke knew it wasn't Naruto - the blonde had his keys on him, so he would open the room himself.

Sasuke grunted and got up from the bed. His face was still hurting. It was bruised and swollen, and Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to lie on it for the next few days. He hoped that his jaw wasn't fractured but it seemed that everything was in order, so he didn't spare it another thought. He opened the doors, and put a smug smirk on his face. The visitor, Hinata, seemed startled.

"How may I help you?" Sasuke inquired. The woman looked away, fiddling her fingers. Sasuke had no idea whether it was an act or if she really was so bashful but he couldn't say that he cared about it. "Naruto's not here-"

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice trembling and almost inaudible. Sasuke leaned on the door frame, stopping her from going in. "Where is Naruto?"

"Out," Sasuke replied. "And I'm rooming with him for the time being. You should leave him alone. He doesn't want you here or anywhere near him," he said. Hinata escaped with her eyes, her lips quivering.

"You wouldn't know that," she uttered in an unexpectedly firm tone. "You don't know him, you have no idea about what he wants-"

"He asked me to stop your first date. And, just so you know, the only reason why he's ever considered dating you was to go on a double date with me and my... partner," he added. The woman's face was a bright shade of red. It appeared that she wasn't just pretending to be hopeless. She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. Sasuke felt sorry for her - sort of. It was clear that she was a troubled person. But, still, he couldn't find a reason for why Naruto should be suffering because of that. "I've told him today to break up with you, and he said that it wasn't so _easy_. That doesn't sound like he's in love with you, does it?"

"You're lying," she accused him. "He's kind, nice, and he would never say something like this," she protested. She was close to crying. Sasuke looked around the corridor. To his relief, it was empty. Making a woman cry wasn't a way to make friends, that much was certain.

"He did say that, though," Sasuke chuckled.

"He also said that he wanted to get away from you," she hissed. Sasuke clicked his tongue. He had no idea what she was talking about but that was probable. He didn't know whether Naruto actually meant it. There was a possibility that the moron acted nice with him because of his quest to please everyone around him.

"So, what do you think is more probable? That he hates us both or that he likes us but keeps telling other people that he doesn't?" he inquired. Hinata started sobbing. It was an ugly sight. But, then again, nobody was pretty while crying.

"He _likes_ me," she exclaimed. "I love him. He's my most important person. I've always noticed him, I was always there for him-"

"Yeah, right, in the shadows," Sasuke interrupted her. "Test him then. Dump him and see if he cares," he suggested. He hoped the she would fall for it.

"I trust him," she shouted. Sasuke rolled his eyes. So she was smart enough to not do it. "I wouldn't hurt him like this," Hinata cried, falling to her knees. Someone lurked through their doors. To Sasuke's dissatisfaction, the person went outside, evidently deciding that whatever was going on between Hinata and Sasuke, it was their business as well.

"Is he bothering you?" a man questioned. He sounded already annoyed. Sasuke turned his head to him. He was certain that his bruised face would work against him.

"No, thank you," Hinata said. Sasuke stared at her. He was surprised but he wasn't going to show that. The man gave him an evil eye but returned to his room. "It's all your fault," she mumbled out, standing up. "If you weren't here, we would be happy. You're ruining everything-"

"If I wasn't here, you wouldn't be together," Sasuke pointed out. He had no idea why he was continuing that discussion. It was pointless. The voice of reason wasn't able to reach Hinata. She was too engrossed in her own little world of delusions. "I'm going back to the room, so leave," he added, closing the doors behind himself.

He doubted that Naruto would pretend to like him. On the other hand, he would also doubt that anyone would pretend to like anyone but that didn't stop the moron from having this parody of a relationship with Hinata. Sasuke sighed, feeling his jaw. Naruto had been more or less forced to come into interactions with him. One time Sasuke made Naruto ask him out. And the blonde went with it, even though he believed himself to be straight. Each and every time they had slept together happened because Sasuke was too drunk to either reach his home on his own or, according to Naruto, to sleep on his own. Even now he had been invited only because he had told him he had nowhere else to stay.

There was a chance that he was in a situation that would closely resemble Hinata's. Too closely for his liking.

* * *

Naruto entered his room, trying to keep his grin under control. Living in a dorm wasn't exactly lonely but his room often felt empty. And now there was Sasuke in it. Even if just for a little while.

He frowned when he noticed that the man was still sleeping on his side, facing the wall. Naruto sat on the bed, and shook Sasuke awake. Sleeping during the day was probably an awful and unhealthy habit. Sasuke glared at him, evidently unhappy about being woken up.

"What do you want?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You can't sleep this much," Naruto informed the man, who just rolled his eyes at him, and turned away. "I'm serious. You're ruining your sleep schedule."

"I don't care," Sasuke protested, covering his face with a pillow. "I've found myself a new place. I'm moving out tomorrow," he muttered into the cushion.

Naruto frowned. If he knew that, he would reschedule his meeting with Gaara. Now it seemed that he had wasted his time. He removed his hand from Sasuke's arm, feeling ridiculous. Sasuke's arm was _nice_ in touch. Even if it was much harder than ones he would _normally_ consider nice. What was even worse, today he discovered that he thought of Gaara as someone fuckable.

At the beginning he believed that Sasuke was just a special case but now it didn't seem like that anymore. It was high school all over again. And Naruto definitely wasn't interested in repeating that. He had believed that he was pretty much done with questioning his sexuality, and that high school was just a phase. Apparently teenagers had a _phase_.

"That's pretty soon," Naruto said, getting up, and sitting on his chair. "You need some help with that?"

"No, I'll manage," Sasuke replied. "Hinata was here, probably looking for you."

Naruto gulped. The situation with Hinata was slowly getting out of control. It had probably got out of control the moment she started researching Sasuke but it was becoming even worse now. Their date at the cinema was all right since they didn't need to talk. And that was probably perfect. Later on, at the party, it got worse. Neji took Hinata to his room to discuss something with her in private, and Naruto had no idea what the man had told her but after that conversation everything went down the drain. Hinata got clingy. Tiredly clingy. He went to sleep mostly to get her off his back. At first he wanted to return home but she offered to walk him there, and that wasn't something he was interested in. So he stayed in Neji's room.

When Naruto woke up, he learned that she had lost her shirt while they were sleeping together. He wasn't even aware of the fact that they had slept together.

"She gave you any trouble?" Naruto asked. Sasuke turned towards him, a faint smile on his face. Face, which was partially violet. Naruto refrained himself from touching it. He had no idea why Neji hit Sasuke, and he was still angry about it.

"Not really," the man answered. "I've heard you wanted me to get lost after that German test," he mused. He didn't seem too concerned by it.

"I didn't, I told her that to keep her away from you. It didn't work," Naruto said. Sasuke arched an eyebrow in a teasing manner. "You're my favorite asshole," Naruto told him, sending him a goofy grin.

"Suddenly, that has a double meaning," Sasuke snorted.

"Gross," Naruto decided but the brunette just shrugged his shoulders. "Your laptop is ringing," he said, handing it to Sasuke, who opened the device and let out a tired sigh. Then he clicked something, and Naruto could hear a loud shout.

"Holy shit, what's happened to your face?!" the voice asked. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Naruto got closer to see whom he was talking with. The brunette didn't protest against it. He even moved to make a space for him. Naruto waved at the person. They stared at him for a while before waving back.

"I had a little argument with my former flatmate," Sasuke informed them. Then he introduced them to one another, and Naruto learned that the guy's name was Suigetsu. "I'm rooming with Naruto today," Sasuke said, and Suigetsu nodded knowingly. "You wanted anything in particular?"

"Just wanted to check up on you," Suigetsu replied. "Oh, and Karin was asking whether you wouldn't want to come visit us-"

"Sure," Sasuke answered, and Naruto almost choked in surprise. He would had bet everything he had ever owned that Sasuke would say 'no.' Disagreeing with everyone and to everything was his second nature.

"But seriously, though, I hope that the other guy looks just as bad-"

"He does," Naruto blurted out. Suigetsu grinned at both of them. "So, you and Sasuke have matching tattoos?" he inquired. Sasuke side-eyed him, looking surprised. He probably didn't even remember having that conversation. He didn't remember many conversations. Suigetsu snorted, and showed him his arm. Naruto could see some kind of fish. It was also done with white ink. "So... I guess that's a shark?"

"Yeah," Suigetsu confirmed, rubbing his cheek. "But they're not-"

"Matching," Sasuke chimed in. Naruto rolled his eyes. As far, as he was concerned, they _were_ matching. "How do you even know about this?" he questioned in a tired voice.

"It's not my fault that you don't know when to stop drinking," Naruto mused. "Do you know that he threw up on me _twice_?" he asked Suigetsu, who burst out laughing.

"You were always the first to pass out," Sasuke muttered in an accusing tone, glaring daggers at Suigetsu, who was practically howling by now. Still, he didn't seem too annoyed. "You're in no position to laugh at me," he added. "I collected your naked drunken ass from more than one fountain-"

"Don't complain, I know you like my ass," Suigetsu cackled, blowing a kiss at Sasuke, who deadpanned at him.

"I'm suddenly busy," Sasuke growled, closing the application. His phone vibrated a while later but he didn't even reach for it. Naruto chuckled at the brunette, who smiled back. "That's one of the guys I've studied with," he explained. "He's an idiot."

"Sounds like your type," Naruto retorted. "An idiot with a fine ass-"

"...right," Sasuke whispered. He looked relaxed, and Naruto had no idea when was the last time he saw Sasuke like that when the man _wasn't_ drunk out of his mind. "When have you seen my tattoo?" he asked.

"When you've slept here for the first time," Naruto answered. "You've said that only me and Neji have seen it," he added. "But, taking into account your memory losses-"

"I was telling the truth," Sasuke interrupted him, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't sleep around all that much-"

"It doesn't matter," Naruto said, lying on the bed. "Your friends seem nice-"

"I don't like yours," Sasuke snorted. "Neji's an asshole, Hinata's a stalker, and Lee is too intense."

"Sakura's pretty cool, though," Naruto protested. "And Tenten-"

"Tenten is all right," the brunette agreed. "I don't know Sakura, so I may give her the benefit of the doubt," he added. Naruto sent him a half-smile. He loved his friends, all of them. They had their flaws but they were still great people. "I've told Hinata to leave you alone," Sasuke confessed after a longer pause. "But I don't think that it worked-"

"Sasuke, how many times have I told you to stay out of this?" Naruto questioned, feeling ridiculously irritated. "And yet you keep messing things up-"

" _You_ are messing it up," Sasuke objected. " _I_ am trying to fix it."

"I've asked you _not_ to. It's not fixing anything. If you haven't tried _fixing_ it in the past, I wouldn't have even been with her now," he growled.

"Excuse me but I didn't force you to date your stalker," Sasuke barked. "That was the stupidest shit you could've done, and, of course, I should've trusted you to actually fucking go with it. And stop undermining my efforts. You should've told Neji when I've told him. But _no_ , you've decided that telling him to ignore me was a better option," he shouted.

Naruto drew a shaky breath. He didn't feel like having that conversation right now. From his point of view, he was constantly arguing with Hinata about Sasuke, and with Sasuke about Hinata.

"Sasuke, honestly, I'm just trying to keep you safe so I wouldn't have to worry about you while I'm dealing with it-"

"You are _not_ dealing with it. You're stalling and trying to wait it out, hoping that it would all go away. And believe me that you can stop worrying about me, I'm fully capable of taking care of myself," Sasuke hissed.

"I've heard you say that when you definitely weren't able to do that," Naruto whined. "And I'm not," he stopped mid-sentence. Sasuke was right. He _was_ hoping that the issue would solve itself. Naruto cleared his throat. "Fine, I'm going to end this. But from now on you'll have to stop messing with my life-"

"Do it now," Sasuke grunted, covering his face with his forearm. "After that, I can even disappear from your life if that's what you want," he added in a strained tone.

"That's not it," the blonde protested. "And I'm not going to break up with her over a goddamn phone, she deserves a proper closure," he muttered.

"You're not going to do this. You'll chicken out at the last moment," Sasuke mused. "Really, I don't believe you. You don't have it in you-"

"Shut up," Naruto barked. He was getting tired of this. For a short while he was even happy that he wouldn't have to deal with Sasuke for much longer. The man was way more intense than Lee. And he didn't have Lee's charm. "Really, Sasuke, do you even like me? Because you keep on insulting me."

"I-"

"You've told me that _we would've been good together_ but then you've said that all you care about is my ass. Seriously, my ass has to be fucking amazing if it makes you want to suffer through talking with a cowardly idiot you won't get to fuck," Naruto snarled.

"I've never said that," Sasuke hissed. Naruto cackled maniacally. Well, that answered his question.

"You _have_ said that. Try drinking less in the future," he advised, folding his arms behind his head.

"I don't have a habit of talking with people I don't like," Sasuke muttered. "And sorry for having said that," he added, turning towards the wall. Naruto cursed under his breath. He didn't want to argue with Sasuke. Not again.

"It's all right," he whispered, poking the back of Sasuke's head. It wasn't all right, though. It was as far from being all right as it could had gotten to.

"She's going to cry when you'll break up with her," Sasuke mused. Naruto frowned. He knew that. He just didn't want to remember about it. "We wouldn't be good together," Sasuke added after a longer pause. "We both suck at communication," he snorted. "You're too nice, and I'm too mean."

"You're not so bad," Naruto disagreed. "And I've definitely fucked up on more than one occasion-"

"Your ass isn't all I care about," Sasuke said unexpectedly. "You have some other good qualities."

" _Right_ ," Naruto laughed.

"You just don't want me to be nice," Sasuke snorted. The blonde glanced at the man lying next to him. Being with him felt strangely natural. Naruto raised himself on his elbows and leaned over Sasuke, studying his bruised face. He looked terrible but even a swollen cheek couldn't hide the fact that he was handsome. Naruto was certain that there were people who would be jealous of him. "What do you want?" Sasuke asked, side-eying Naruto.

"You don't seem too troubled by being beaten up," Naruto noticed.

"I wasn't beaten up," the brunette protested. "I was doing just fine. If you weren't constantly interrupting me, you'd feel sorry for Neji, and not me."

"I wanted to talk about something else," Naruto mumbled out. "Even your friend wasn't too concerned about it. Like, did you fight a lot of what?" he questioned. Sasuke smiled at him, and rolled his eyes. "So you've always been into stupid shit," he realized. "I don't even know why I'm this surprised," Naruto chortled.

"Me neither," Sasuke replied in a grave tone. He seemed to be offended by something.

"Your fuse is pretty short, isn't it," the blonde complained, poking the other male's cheek. Sasuke narrowed his black eyes at him, and Naruto caught himself staring. These were really pretty eyes. One was almost unable to find the border between the pupil and the iris. He leaned closer, taking a whiff of Sasuke's cologne. It didn't smell bad, the scent was quite inviting. Underneath it, he could also smell the man's sweat - and that was no surprise, Sasuke had spent half of the night traveling, and he had decided that going to sleep was a much better option than taking a shower - but the scents mixed together were not unpleasant. "How did you know you were gay?"

Sasuke's eyes shot open at the question. Naruto smirked at the man. Every once in a while, whenever Sasuke remembered that he was an actual human being, his face would stop resembling a death mask, and it would become quite expressive.

"I've realized I wanted to fuck guys," he muttered. "And guys only."

"All right," Naruto mumbled out, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "And then you just went with it?" he questioned, and Sasuke nodded, a shadow of a smile appearing on his face. "I see," Naruto whispered, lying next to the brunette.

He wondered whether it was similar for him. He knew it wasn't guys _only_. He could probably stay with girls, and never mention his doubts to anyone. That would had been the easy way. On the other hand, he actually liked Sasuke. He turned out to be a great guy. And Naruto couldn't say that he _wasn't_ attracted to him. Still, it would shock his friends. And his dad. And he was quite certain that he had enough problems as it was.

Nevertheless, he felt like actually going with this as well. That wouldn't be the stupidest thing he had done this year.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke inquired. He sounded as disinterested as always but Naruto could swear that the man's voice was a little bit strained. "You've realized that it wasn't just about ham and peas before?"

"You're enjoying yourself way too much," Naruto complained, smiling into the cushion. "But, _theoretically_ , would you go out with me after I'd break up with Hinata?"

Sasuke sat up, gawking at him. One of his cheeks was violet but the other one was pink. He blinked, and, apparently reminding himself that he had a reputation to uphold, he put a cool expression on his face.

" _Theoretically_ , I might agree," he answered. Naruto beamed at the man. Sasuke didn't even ask where they would be going. At first Naruto wanted to take him somewhere safe but now... Now he would have to think of something _good_.

"Then... Are we set or do you want me to ask you out properly?" he inquired. He considered telling Sasuke that if he was a one, then Sasuke would never be more than a four, at least according to his silly theory, but he stopped himself. They could bicker some other time.

"You still haven't broken up with Hinata," Sasuke pointed out, returning to his place on the bed. Naruto sighed. It was true. He had never broken up with anyone, he had been patiently waiting for his girlfriends to do it. And that usually paid off. He didn't have to feel guilty. "She'd be pissed off if she was to see us together," Sasuke mused, letting out a soft chuckle.

Naruto frowned. She was bound to get disappointed. First because of their break up, and second when she would learn that Naruto chose to date Sasuke, the person she believed to ruin her and Naruto's relationship.

"Yeah, we might want to lay low for a while," the blonde whispered. Sasuke glared daggers at him. That probably wasn't a smart thing to say.

"Naruto, you either take all or none of it," he growled. "Make up your damn mind."

"Fair enough," Naruto said. "But when I'll ask you out this time, I hope you won't end up being groped by some creeper," he laughed. Sasuke's expression softened.

"It's a deal," he replied, letting out an annoyed huff. Naruto smiled back at him. Things were slowly starting to look brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and kudos.   
> Now I'll try to go back to writing other stories, so the next chapter will be up in one week or so. I mean, well, that's the plan. But I suck at planning. It might appear sooner. I have no idea :D


	12. Chapter 12

Sasuke sighed in resignation. It appeared that his next flatmate would be just as much of a nutcase as the last one had been. The flat was cluttered with all kinds of artistic supplies. The floor had paint stains all over it. His new flatmate was covered in paint. Everything smelled of oil paint, ink and turpentine. Sasuke was slowly starting to miss Neji.

Neji smelled of his stupid shampoo. And he was a clean freak, which suited Sasuke. Sai was chaotic. Sasuke started to wonder whether he shouldn't resign now and go back to Neji. The man had sent him an apology via a text message. He had been probably forced to do it by his girlfriend but, still, living with him wasn't exactly the worst. It was bearable, and that was more than Sasuke expected from living with Sai.

Because Sai was an even bigger asshole. He had been smiling up until Sasuke signed his lease - and Sasuke still didn't terminate his previous one but he believed that he and Neji would come to an agreement. After all, Sasuke had witnesses who would testify that he had been beaten up there. And he was only defending himself. He just hoped that Neji wouldn't actually do anything about it. Sasuke had been defending himself way too often for the court's liking, so he would need to ask his brother for help _again._

Itachi was a lawyer by trade but he worked as a marketing specialist for a pretty big company. He didn't belong to any bar association, though. Not anymore. And that would pose quite a problem since he couldn't appear in court.

After Sasuke had signed the lease, Sai's demeanor changed completely. Suddenly, he got relaxed enough to question Sasuke's dick size. Because, apparently, Sasuke's pants were too tight. Sasuke eyed the other man's outfit - which didn't exactly leave much to the imagination, not with that damn crop top - but he decided against commenting on it. It wouldn't lead to anything useful. Sasuke just needed a place to sleep in. Luckily enough, the lease was just for one month - apparently Sai's previous flatmate left on some artistic journey to find himself. And he was supposed to find himself during that month.

Sasuke didn't want to know what that was all about. He'd never understood artists. He learned, however, that Sai's previous flatmate worked with clay. One cupboard was completely stuffed with it. _His_ cupboard.

"I don't want this here," he complained, removing a heavy block of clay from the cupboard, and leaving it on the kitchen table. He didn't really need a cupboard. He had just one mug. He could probably keep it wherever.

"Too bad," Sai answered, completely unfazed by his complaint. He was sketching something in his notebook. Probably dicks. Sasuke would had welcomed a flatmate this obsessed with dicks before but now it seemed a nuisance. Sasuke was somewhat jealous of Naruto. He didn't have to constantly fight with some random dickheads. "It's staying there. You can use my cupboard. Besides, it's not like you're actually _living_ here, you're just a temporary replacement," Sai added in a dull tone. He was almost completely expressionless.

"Then you won't mind it staying on the kitchen table for a month," Sasuke growled at him. "It's only _temporary_."

"It will dry, and you'll have to pay for it. Do what you want," Sai said. He sounded amused. Sasuke glared at the block. He had no idea how much it cost. Probably much more than it was worth.

"Fuck this," he decided and put the block back into the cupboard. He would be out of there in a month. He missed Neji. Neji was such a reasonable guy. He just showered too often and too long, and was obsessed with his hair. There was nothing wrong about that. It was but a quirk. Nothing Sasuke couldn't live with.

* * *

Naruto gulped, trying to calm his racing heart. He was at Hinata's, and he was supposed to break up with her. To break up with a woman, who was in love with him, and who helped him on several occasions. She had been tutoring him, not wanting anything in return. And gods, even if everything about it felt wrong, she cared. She knew where they served the best ramen just because Naruto liked ramen. He would probably consider it really sweet if it wasn't this creepy.

And now he would have to act like a total douchebag. He had acted like a total douchebag the moment he had asked her out. It was all his fault, he should be the one to suffer.

"I was worried about you," she whispered, staring at him with her big eyes. Gods, Bambi's mother had less innocent eyes. People shouldn't be allowed to have such eyes. Naruto himself felt like a deer in headlights, completely stunned and unable to do anything. She was so short. Almost like a child. And now he would have to hurt this child. And Naruto knew that she wasn't aware that she was acting wrong. Because she would had stopped if she knew. "Sasuke is quite aggressive-"

"Neji hit him first," Naruto blurted out as if it was the only thing that mattered. Neji wanted to talk with him. He made it sound important. "But I wanted to talk with you about something else," he mumbled under his nose, looking away.

"Yes?" Hinata whispered, letting him know that she was listening.

Naruto clenched his fists. It was way more difficult than he had anticipated it to be. He was about to break the poor girl's heart. And it was all because he was an idiot. He shouldn't had asked her out. He shouldn't had asked her to be with him. And now he would be breaking up with her because... he had no idea why. Sasuke wanted him to do it, and he would probably give him a silent treatment again if he was to fail to do it but...

Naruto bit his bottom lip. He had been trying to come up with a clever break up speech, one that would spare Hinata's feelings but they all seemed empty. So he hoped that he would get inspired now. He worked quite well under pressure.

"I don't think that we should be together," he stuttered. The inspiration didn't come. Hinata stared at him with wide open eyes. Eyes, which began to well up with tears. "It's not your fault, honest-"

"...then why?" she asked, her lips quivering. "Maybe we can still fix it-"

Naruto drew a breath, fighting an urge to say that he was gay. He wished he was gay. Then he wouldn't have to worry about this mess. It wouldn't be his fault.

"I love you like a sister," he answered uncertainly. This way he would make sure she knew that he had some positive feelings towards her. Even if they were platonic. And it was technically true. "I was just... confused. Sorry, it's all my fault. I should've thought about it earlier but I've just jumped the gun because I've reckoned that I've really liked you but I don't like you in _this_ way, and, oh my god, please, stop crying," he pleaded. Hinata was sobbing, her shoulders and arms shaking. "It's fine if you don't want to talk with me again, I know I've screwed up, really, but if you'll ever feel like being friends with me again then please let me know, and I'll be here for you, I really love you, and you're a sweet girl, and your cooking is amazing, and you've helped me so much," he blabbered incoherently. It seemed that nothing he would say could help but that thought didn't reach his mouth, which kept on moving. "I will pay you for all your tutoring, so you wouldn't feel used, because, really, that was never my intention, and you're really beautiful, so you'll find yourself a much better guy, seriously, and everyone likes you because you're always so nice and kind, and... Hinata, do you want me to shut up and leave?" he asked, resigned.

She wasn't able to answer him verbally but she shook her head. Her breathing became raggedy, she was practically wheezing for air. Naruto panicked. He knew that she used to have asthma but it was years since her last attack - at least he didn't heard of one. And he had no idea what to do about it.

"Do you want me to give you something?" he asked uncertainly. He wished for the ground to swallow him. Breaking up was horrible. She pointed towards her bag, which was hanging on a hook in the corridor. Naruto hurried towards it, and gave it to her, almost tripping on his way back. It was a disaster. She rummaged through her bag, and took out _something._ Naruto didn't know how these devices were called but he wished he knew all about them. He had no idea when was the last time he was so out of control, and he didn't like it.

Her breathing was slowly returning to normal.

"Can I do anything for you?" he inquired awkwardly. She shook her head, her face red, swollen and covered in tears. Naruto hated himself. "I will... leave now," he said. "If you'll feel like talking, call me," he whispered closing the doors behind him. It went just as badly as he had envisioned it to.

* * *

Sasuke returned to his apartment. He looked around. He blinked. Then he blinked again because what he saw was absolutely absurd. First of all, Naruto was there. What was more, Naruto was partially naked. Kneeling. Holding a plant above his head. Sai was painting this abstract scene as if it was a normal occurrence.

"What are you doing?" he questioned. He wasn't certain whom he was asking.

"Oh, I'm just helping Sai," Naruto answered happily. His arm muscles were tensed, and it seemed that he had been holding that plant for quite some time now. "I thought you were supposed to return earlier-"

"Why are you helping him?" Sasuke asked. Sai ignored him before so there was no reason to address him.

"Because he's asked me to, duh," the blonde said, rolling his eyes. Oh. So it was this obvious. Someone asked Naruto to undress and hold a plant above his head, and he said yes to that. Of course. "How much longer do I need to stay like this?" he asked. Sai shrugged his arms.

"I'm pretty much done with it," the artist said. Sasuke walked up behind him. Somehow, he expected the man to paint only the plant but no, he was actually painting Naruto. Sasuke had no idea how good or bad that piece was but he could definitely recognize the blonde.

"Why didn't you say you were living with your brother?" Naruto inquired. Sai chuckled at that, and Sasuke glanced at them both, unsure about what to say. He didn't know whether he should kick his new flatmate for lying to his friend or his friend for being this hopelessly gullible. He and Sai didn't even look alike- Sasuke stopped himself, studying Sai's features. All right, perhaps they did look alike. Still, there was no way in hell that anyone would think that they were _brothers_.

"Because I'm not," he barked. "I didn't know this guy until this morning," he added. Naruto flushed. Good, he should be embarrassed. He had just undressed for some random idiot. " _Dummkopf_ ,"he snorted.

"Your friend is much nicer than you are," Sai mused. "Although he too isn't too well endowed in the nether regions. I'm guessing that this is what brought you together-"

Sasuke sighed, hoping that Naruto wouldn't enlighten the asshole that they met under equally embarrassing circumstances.

"No, he actually threw up on me," the blonde chirped cheerfully. He was still holding the plant. Why was he holding this plant. He should had let go off it ages ago. Hell, he shouldn't had been holding it up in the first place. Even if Sai had been Sasuke's brother - however insane that thought was. "And I'm hung like a horse-"

"Seahorse, perhaps," Sai interrupted him. "But I don't think that they have dicks. Which is quite fitting."

"Hey," Naruto yelled, audibly offended. He was _still_ holding that goddamn plant. Sasuke considered walking up to him and taking it from his hands. Perhaps then he would dress up, and everything would return to normal. He should had accepted Neji's forced apology, and return to him. Neji was wonderful. He was the best flatmate Sasuke had ever had. "You've lied to me, and now you're insulting me-"

"That's what you get for being a moron," Sasuke muttered. "For future reference, my brother's name is Itachi. And he wouldn't want to paint you naked."

"Sweet," Naruto said. "Because that was pretty awkward-"

"It _is_ pretty awkward," Sasuke corrected the blonde. "You're still naked, and he's still painting you. Present tense."

"I'm almost done," Sai stated under his breath. Sasuke had to admit that he seemed quite skilled with a brush. Although the painting had probably no value. It was way too random. Unless someone was into half-naked men. Sasuke tilted his head. Thinking of it, quite a number of people was into half-naked men. Perhaps someone _would_ be interested in buying that. "It's going to adore our kitchen," Sai added, as if reading Sasuke's mind. "But, anyways, before we were so rudely interrupted, you were telling me about your girlfriend..."

Sasuke quirked his eyebrow at that. Naruto was way too trusting with people.

"Yeah, so, then she got an asthma attack," the blonde said. It seemed that he wasn't too upset about being lied to. He was also way too forgiving. "And that was awful, she could barely breath-"

"Did you break up with her?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto sighed and nodded. He didn't seem too happy about it. The blonde had promised him to ask him out _properly,_ whatever that meant, after he would break up with Hinata but Sasuke wasn't going to push him into doing that again. He reckoned that the man would need some time to cool off.

"Yeah, I actually came here to talk to you but then I met Sai, and Sai said he could use some help, and I've asked him whether he was your brother because you look like twins, and he _lied_ to me," Naruto barked. His grip on the pot was just as strong as before. Apparently, he considered holding it up really important. For whatever reason. Sai had already finished that part of the painting, now he was adding more details to Naruto's face and chest area. Sasuke could probably tell him that he could stop holding it but, then again, the view wasn't unpleasant. And it wasn't his business to meddle with artist's work. Perhaps it _was_ essential for Naruto to hold it up. "I'm really glad you aren't Sasuke's brother," the blonde added. Sasuke smiled at that. He too was glad that Sai wasn't his brother.

"We don't look like twins," Sasuke protested.

"Are you shitting me? Sai is like thinner you with a better haircut-"

" _Thinner me. With a better haircut,_ " Sasuke growled.

"It's not like you're fat or anything," Naruto whined. "And hey, I like your hair. It's funny."

"It is funny," Sai agreed with Naruto.

Sasuke stared at the two. They were probably forged for one another in the depths of hell. Made solely to torture him. Because it wasn't possible that people who met each other just a couple of hours ago would already have this level of proficiency at unnerving him. Especially working as a duo.

"No, but seriously, Sasuke, you're much cooler," Naruto said. Sai heaved a heavy sigh, and Sasuke fought an urge to rub his little victory on him. "Anyways, returning to Hinata - she's gotten this asthma attack, I gave her the thing - whatever it's called-"

"Inhaler," Sai suggested.

"That works," Naruto agreed. "And then, after she calmed down, I left."

"You're quite a dick for someone who doesn't have one," Sai mused, and Sasuke wanted to hit him. Knowing Naruto, he didn't say anything about how creepy Hinata had been. The blonde sighed, completely deflated.

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled out. "I've probably lost all of my friends. I mean, they're going to feel sorry for her - and they should be - and... I don't know, I guess I deserve it."

"You do," Sai chirped.

"Just tell them what it was like, you moron," Sasuke whined, sitting on a chair. He didn't hear the rest of the story but, probably, making Naruto repeat it now would just upset him so he let it go. It didn't matter anyways. What was important was that the blonde had finally broken up with his stalker.

"Neji wants to meet me tomorrow," Naruto mumbled out. "He's probably going to kill me for toying with Hinata's feelings-"

"Tell him that she's a stalker. For fuck's sake, she probably needs some kind of help," Sasuke complained. "Your life would be much easier if you were more honest-"

"It's done," Sai interrupted them, and showed the painting to Naruto, who gawked at him.

"It looks stupid," the blonde chuckled. "I thought you were going to replace the plant with something awesome-"

"Why would I do that?" Sai questioned, leaving the painting to dry off. Sasuke caught Naruto's confused stare and shrugged his shoulders. He never claimed he understood art. Perhaps it made sense. Or maybe it wasn't supposed to make sense. He had now way of knowing. It was aesthetically pleasing, and he wouldn't mind having it in the kitchen, that much was certain.

Naruto got up, collecting a fabric that was piled on his lap, and covering himself with it. So he _was_ naked. Sasuke gulped as the blonde sat next to him, not bothering himself with putting any clothes on. It seemed that he was completely fine with being bundled up in a - whatever the fabric was.

"Shouldn't you get dressed?" Sasuke questioned. His voice sounded strange, so he cleared his throat.

"What's the point," Naruto mumbled out, resting his head on the table. Sasuke didn't know how to answer to that. He patted the blonde on the head, feeling awkward. It would be easier if the man was dressed. "Are you happy now?" he asked.

Sasuke stopped mid-motion, glaring at Naruto.

"Why would that matter?" he inquired, deciding to let Naruto bullshit his way out of this one. Because Sasuke definitely wasn't going to agree to the moron putting all the responsibility for what had happened on him.

"Someone should be," he replied, staring back. "She's not, I'm not, my friends aren't, so that leaves you - because even Sai isn't happy and he doesn't know me-"

"And yet you've undressed for him," Sasuke mused, rubbing his forehead. "And yes, I'm glad that it's over."

"I've undressed for your _brother_ ," Naruto pointed out. "Although, now that I'm saying it, it sounds even worse," he chuckled.

"It does," Sasuke agreed.

"I don't want to ask you out," Naruto grunted. "I mean," he added hastily, "not now. She will be even more hurt if she'll see us together, and since I have to agree that hiding doesn't make sense, you'll have to wait. Besides, it doesn't seem right."

"It's fine," Sasuke relented. He didn't really care about Hinata's feelings but he didn't mind waiting. Even if he wasn't certain what he was waiting for. Technically, Naruto had asked him out for a _date._ He hadn't promised him anything. Probably the only thing that would be different from their usual hangouts would be the label. And, perhaps, Naruto's intentions. Which were still pretty unclear.

* * *

Naruto glared at Neji, who sent him a worried stare. It seemed that Sasuke hadn't stopped screwing everything up. Or, perhaps, he had done much more than Naruto knew about.

"I've tried talking with her about it at the last party," Neji said, rubbing his jaw. It was already green and yellow. It seemed that Neji's hand was heavier than Sasuke's. Or the man was healing faster. Naruto had no idea. "She's said that she just wanted to protect you from Sasuke - and that was pretty weird but he isn't the nicest person around, so I decided to not give two shits about it. But, then again, Sasuke said that she's creeped you out before-"

"Don't worry about it, that was me being stupid," Naruto smiled at the man.

"So she _did_ that," he noticed. "And Sasuke wasn't lying-"

"Sasuke... is pretty dramatic," Naruto said, forcing a chuckle. He had broken up with Hinata yesterday, and he had been afraid that Neji would eat him alive but he seemed _worried._ Naruto wasn't used to Neji being worried.

"Naruto, look, I appreciate that you're being gentle with her but it can't go on like this. She's my cousin and I love her, but you can't keep on lying to me about it," he uttered. Today he was wearing his hair in a messy bun. That was weird. Neji didn't use any rubbers. He was saying that they ruined hair.

"It's over now, so you really don't have to worry about it," he said hastily. "Besides, perhaps I've overreacted. I mean, Sasuke kept on talking about stalkers and I might've freaked out for no reason at all-"

"Why did you think that she was one?" Neji questioned. Naruto cleared his throat, and combed through his hair, trying to come up with a smart answer. As if there was one. He would either come off as paranoid or make Hinata look bad. And she needed all the support she could get now.

"I had no particular reason," he blurted out. Neji narrowed his pale eyes at him. He knew even people were lying. He would look at them and he would know. "She knows some things that she shouldn't have a way of knowing about," he mumbled out in defeat. "But it's nothing serious. And she told me she had been following me when I thought I was alone-"

"I see," Neji whispered, his voice strained.

"She followed me into this city, and she already knows where they sell my favorite things. _I_ didn't know where they sell my favorite things," he chuckled. "And she learned all those things about Sasuke... I mean, she even found his ex girlfriend, and he is pretty much gay so-"

"I'll try talking to her. But I've done it before, and it didn't work," Neji stated, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"...don't," Naruto pleaded. "I've broken up with her, so perhaps everything will go back to normal-"

"You mean the normal when she follows you around?" Neji questioned. Naruto looked away. He always thought himself to be a rather open guy but he found out that he did need some privacy.

"No. Maybe she will stop on her own," he whispered. Neji heaved a tired sigh.

"Tell Sasuke I'm sorry. For hitting him, and for before."

"All right," Naruto promised, happy that they changed subjects. Now Sasuke was the only thing he had to worry about.

* * *

Sasuke got somewhat accustomed to his new flatmate. Sai became bearable - however impossible that had seemed. Ino visited him, so they could work on their presentation, and Sasuke absolutely hated group work but working with Ino was all right. She wasn't slacking off, and she was doing her parts just fine. At first Sasuke regretted that he wasn't with Naruto but he had to admit that being with Ino was probably easier. And she also found Sai's crop top funny - even though he had seen her wear one on multiple occasions - so she gained some points for that.

"Naruto thought he was my brother," he snorted. Ino had seen the painting, and she definitely deserved some explanation. "So he undressed for him, and let him paint him-"

"So that's actually Naruto?" Ino questioned, studying the painting. "The picture is awful but he's totally hot," she mused. Sasuke refrained himself from nodding in agreement. "If I knew that making hotties undress for me was this easy, I would've taken up art _ages_ ago," she joked.

"You would need to be a hottie yourself to have hotties undress for you," Sai chimed in. Sasuke glared daggers at him. Ino _was_ good looking but, even if she wasn't, being this rude with people one didn't know had to take some nerve. Sasuke hoped that Naruto would finally realize how civil he had been in comparison to that dickhead. "I'm not surprised that you're unable to appreciate this painting, you're too much of a simpleton-"

Ino almost choked at that. Sasuke didn't blame her. Sai was obnoxious. Sasuke learned to ignore him because giving him a time of his day definitely was pointless but, still, she was his guest.

"This painting sucks," he said. "And the only reason why this moron undressed for you was because he thought you were my brother-"

"What, you and your brother share lovers?" Sai questioned, a smug smirk on his too pale face. Sasuke gave him an evil eye. He hoped that he didn't resemble him too much because he hated that face.

"Oh my gosh, so you and Naruto are finally-" Ino exclaimed, sounding way too excited about it. There was something about blondes, Sasuke noticed. They seemed to be generally more lively than the rest.

"No," he interrupted her. Not yet, at least. "We're just friends-"

She sent him a knowing smile. "I remember when you were saying that you two _weren't_ friends," Ino giggled.

"Back then, we weren't," Sasuke pointed out, straightening his legs. "And I don't share lovers with my brother," he added. Sai made a noise, which _almost_ sounded like a laugh.

"Normally, people would consider it so obvious that they wouldn't feel the need to say it," he teased. Sasuke exhaled through his nose, counting to ten. He should had invited Ino to his room. Staying in the kitchen was stupid. It was obvious that the dickhead would disturb them.

"Don't you have places to be?" Sasuke inquired. Sai was constantly home, and that was troubling because he was unable to just shut up and paint his dicks or whatever it was that he had been painting.

"Actually, Naruto told me he had a shift today, and that I should _totally_ come visit him at work," Sai replied. "Perhaps I will. And, FYI, I too am not a sharing kind of person," he laughed, getting up from his spot. Sasuke side-eyed him. He had no idea whether he preferred him to go or to stay. Both options were equally horrible. He let out a tired sigh, catching Ino's sympathetic stare. Taking into account how painfully slow Naruto was, he would probably make Sai believe that he was head over heels in love with him while pretending to be the nicest guy alive.

"Have fun," Sasuke grunted. He would need to finish the presentation as soon as possible, and then go check up on the moron to make sure that he wasn't giving Sai any false hope. Because by now Sasuke was definitely fed up with pale-faced brunettes. All of them. Neji and Orochimaru kept trying to contact him, each with his own agenda, Hinata was probably plotting her revenge, whatever it could be, and Sai was being a dick. Sasuke made a mental note to avoid brunettes. Statistics said they were all messed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say hi to Sai :D
> 
> And be patient, my dears, we're slowly getting there :D


	13. Chapter 13

"Whoa, didn't expect you to come here today," Naruto chirped in an obviously happy voice. Sasuke looked around the pub. It was pretty much desolated but that wasn't a surprise. After all, it was Wednesday. Sasuke had invited Ino to come with him but she rejected his invitation, saying that she would feel like a third wheel. Sasuke had to admit that she probably would. "What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, leaning over the bar, which was _empty_.

"Sai said you've invited him to come here," Sasuke mumbled out. He felt like an idiot.

"When I was inviting him here, he was still your brother," the blonde smiled. Sasuke shook his head and scoffed at the man. "But, anyways, he was here but he already left. Are you looking for him?"

"No," Sasuke admitted, sitting on his regular bar stool. Naruto poured him some spicy honey drink. It was surprisingly tasty.

"Then you've came to see _me_ ," the blonde teased him, drawling the last word. His face was somewhat tense, and his grin seemed forced.

"You're the only reason why I keep coming here," Sasuke replied in a dull tone. The pub was rather shitty, and it still wasn't anywhere close to where he lived. He would have to be insane to _want_ to come there. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Naruto shrugged his shoulders, and looked away.

"Mostly guilty," he replied. "Like, I think I've fucked up, seriously fucked up. And then there's you, and I feel even guiltier because, holy shit, it's unfair to you, and it's unfair to Hinata... I mean, because if we were to date _now_ it would make you look like a home wrecker, and you're not one, and-"

"I don't care," Sasuke said in a hushed voice but Naruto just frowned at him. Apparently, keeping up appearances was something important in the boy scouts world.

"Oh, come on, it would look as if I was cheating on her with you, and I think I wasn't. I mean, generally, my and Hinata's relationship was pretty non-existent, like, we didn't even _kiss_. Seriously," the blonde blurted out, probably noticing Sasuke's shocked stare. "Like, the most we've ever done was to hold hands. And one time, she smooched me on the cheek. Yeah, that was pretty much it when it comes to me and Hinata being physical. And, gods, you and I were holding hands, and we weren't together," he blabbered. "We've even slept together more often, and when we did, we had both agreed to it. I mean, you probably don't remember the agreeing part but I wasn't doing anything funny, so, like, I hope you don't mind it-"

"I don't," Sasuke assured Naruto in an amused voice.

"Good," the blonde exclaimed. "So, anyways, the thing is that I have absolutely no idea about what I should do. And, like, I shouldn't be even discussing it with you since you're kinda a part of the problem but I don't even have anyone else I could talk about it with. Really. I mean, _perhaps_ , I could ask Sakura to listen to me but we didn't talk even once in the past month so that would be pretty sudden-"

"What do you want to do?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto sighed, looking strangely flustered.

"Honestly, I'm waiting for a proper moment to ask you out. But it makes me feel as if I was a total douchebag. Maybe I am a total douchebag-" he stopped mid-sentence, letting his voice die out. "I don't know," he added, combing through his hair. "What is the etiquette in such situations?" he mused, a strained chuckle escaping his lips.

Sasuke tapped his fingers on the bar, thinking of the answer.

"I don't think there is one," he finally replied. Naruto was probably right about how their dating would look like to the others. There was a chance that no amount of waiting would let them escape the stigma. On the other hand, Naruto and Hinata's relationship was an extremely short one. It didn't even last a month. "I think you're worrying too much," he sighed. "Some people will be unhappy about it but some people were also unhappy about you and Hinata being together-"

"Yeah, you," Naruto snorted.

"And Kiba," Sasuke reminded the blonde. "At the beginning of the year you two seemed like good buddies but then Hinata happened, and I don't remember when was the last time you two spoke to each other-"

"Fine, but that's different. Nobody's going to stop to talk to me or you because they're being jealous, they will stop talking to us because we're being dicks-"

"Nobody cares this much," Sasuke pointed out. "Besides, you were supposed to ask me out, not propose to me. Chill out."

"Ha!" Naruto shouted as if he caught Sasuke red-handed. Sasuke arched his eyebrows in a mute question. "Remember how we were talking about who would fuck whom?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke shook his head. "Yeah, so, you were trying to prove me that it would be you fucking Orochimaru and not the other way around-"

"Why is it important now?" Sasuke asked, his eyes wide. Then it clicked, and he glared daggers at the moron. " _Really_?" he questioned, giving the blonde one last chance to rethink and rephrase whatever it was that he wanted to say.

"Yeah, you'd be the one being fucked. See, you want _me_ to propose to _you-_ "

"I _don't_ want that," Sasuke corrected the idiot, trying to persuade himself that violence wasn't the answer. "And this isn't how it works," he sighed. "Besides, even if it was your dick in my ass, you'd still be the one being fucked. Trust me."

" _Right_ ," Naruto laughed. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The moron _wanted_ to fight him, there was no other option. Because no-one in their right mind would continue that discussion.

"Do you want me to prove it to you?" he inquired.

Naruto leaned closer, crossing his arms on the bar. "I'd love to see you try," he taunted. That was a fucking taunt. Sasuke did a round of breathe-ins and breath-outs, feeling quite ambivalent. On one hand, Naruto was annoying as fuck. On the other, he just kind of agreed to having sex.

Then his face became redder as he, probably, realized what he had just said. Sasuke smirked at the man, who looked as if he forgot his tongue.

"So, when do you want to prove me wrong?" he inquired in a sickeningly sweet voice. "I'll prepare in advance-"

"Sasuke, for fuck's sake, there are people around," Naruto whispered in a panicked tone.

"They're all adults," Sasuke said, unfazed by the blonde's embarrassment.

"Well, yes, but maybe they don't want to hear anything about your ass-"

"I don't want to hear anything about their lives as well yet here I am, suffering. Seems only fair," he pointed out. "Besides, you were the one who started this topic. If I knew you were this interested, I would've informed you sooner," Sasuke chuckled. "If I remember correctly, you were also saying that I wouldn't be able to get an erection while drunk. And you wanted to know whether guys give better blowjobs. Look, get me drunk, and we can check all of your theories in just one night-"

" _Fine_ , just shut up," the blonde pleaded in a hushed voice. Sasuke blinked in disbelief. The moron really was an idiot.

"Did you fucking agreed to having sex with me just so I would shut up?" he snarled. "Are you out of your mind-"

"Honestly, I just wanted to get you drunk. You would've went to sleep, and I wouldn't have to worry," Naruto grinned at him. Fine, that was acceptable. Stupid but acceptable. "See, this is how we solve conflicts in here. But, to your credit, you're still far less problematic than Sai-"

"What did he do?" Sasuke questioned, sipping his drink. He just hoped that Sai wouldn't be another person he would have to tell to go fuck himself. Because it was slowly getting tiring.

"Oh, he asked me whether I wouldn't want to model for him again. This time without the cloth. And he showed me some of the poses he was interested in. That definitely gained me some weird looks from other patrons. They must be thinking that I'm sleeping with each and every one of you. And that sucks because they've stopped tipping me," he complained. "Perhaps they don't want to compete with you. I don't know, I'm pretty approachable," Naruto joked. "And _you_ never tip me. That's rude."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and opened his wallet. He grabbed a bill in two fingers and looked around to find the tip jar. It was nowhere to be found.

"Do I shove it down your pants or what?" he asked.

"You can just hand it to me, thank you very much," the blonde whined. "One would think you were raised by some wild beasts," he mused. Sasuke caught him staring at his opened wallet, so he raised it for him to see the picture better.

"My family," he clarified, even though it seemed redundant.

"You've taken after your mom," Naruto noticed. "It's the same for me," he added after a short while.

Sasuke cleared his throat. He felt weird talking about his parents. Still, Naruto's situation was somewhat similar. To his relief, they didn't touch upon that topic too often. He had no idea whether Naruto didn't want to as well or if he had just noticed that it made Sasuke uneasy but he was still grateful.

"I'm kind of jealous that you've got to meet them," Naruto whispered, another forced smile on his face. "I mean, it's not like I wished you had it worse, it's already awful-"

"Shut it," Sasuke pleaded. "See, I wasn't raised by some wild beasts," he said in a strained tone, trying to return to the previous topic. He shuddered when a warm hand touched his head, burying itself into his hair. He missed that hand. He grabbed Naruto's wrist, keeping the hand in place, not letting it go after a short pat.

"Yeah, you weren't," Naruto agreed, leaning towards him. "Sorry but I kind of need that hand for work," he whispered into his ear, his breath brushing against Sasuke's neck. Sasuke let go off of it, and heard the blonde pour someone beer. He didn't even notice the people standing right next to them.

"What did you tell Sai?" Sasuke asked, making himself sound as distant and disinterested as he only could.

"That I will consider his wonderful proposition," Naruto chuckled. "But I don't think I'll agree. This time he wants to put it on some exhibition, and I don't think I want this many people to see my junk. Even if Sai did offer to enlarge it. Although he claimed that he just wanted to make it _visible._ He's weird, isn't he," he mused.

"Yeah, it makes you wonder what he's hiding in his pants," Sasuke agreed.

"He told me he had it photographed by his friend. He's claiming it was _sensational_ ," Naruto laughed. Sasuke quirked his eyebrow, and took out his phone. "You're not googling that, are you?" the blonde snorted. "Geez, now visiting you will be twice as awkward-"

"I can't find it," Sasuke complained. "Did he tell you the name of this friend?" Naruto hummed for a while, and then supplied him with one. It seemed that he really did have a good memory for names. Then Sasuke blinked. Sai's dick really could put others to shame. "Holy fuck," he cursed, showing the picture to Naruto, whose face became red like a goddamn tomato.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed, his voice raspy. "It's not even completely hard in this one," he mumbled out, sounding absolutely horrified. "I don't know if he even _can_ get it completely hard, like- oh my god, he _is_ able to get a full erection," he exclaimed, swiping to the next picture. "You know, when people compare their dicks to a baby's arm holding an apple, they're usually exaggerating but _this_ -"

"You sound really straight right now," Sasuke snorted. "Do you want me to send these to you?" Naruto gave him an evil eye, and Sasuke shrugged his shoulders in an unapologetic manner. "What, you prefer to look them up on your own in your spare time?" he chuckled.

"I'm _not_ going to jack off to your flatmate's dick," Naruto protested in a hushed tone.

"Your loss," Sasuke replied.

"You-," the blonde almost choked on his words. "Are you serious?" he questioned. He looked as if there wasn't anything more shocking in the whole wide world.

"You're so prude," Sasuke mused happily.

"Have fun with your perforated bowels," Naruto hissed at him. "Bleeding out of your ass would make you _really_ sexy."

Sasuke stared at him, trying to suppress a chuckle and failing. He missed talking to Naruto.

* * *

 

"Sasuke, we're closing," Naruto informed the man, who was sitting in front of him, his head swaying to sides. He had been _giggling_ for the last two hours. Now Naruto was certain that his patrons thought he was having sex with everyone who came to visit him at work. He would had thought that of himself too if he didn't know better. Still, he was glad that Sasuke came there. It made the time pass faster, and it made working more pleasant.

"What, aren't you going to walk me anywhere?" Sasuke asked, his face flushed from alcohol, and his eyes watery from laughing. "Or we could stay here, it's nice in here," he slurred, observing Naruto move from behind the bar and walk up to him.

"When you're really wasted, you don't want me to walk you anywhere," Naruto said, smiling at his friend, who gave him a disappointed look. "Fine, I'll take you home," he relented. Sasuke hnned at him, and it cracked Naruto up.

They reached Sasuke's new apartment an hour later, and Naruto had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes when Sasuke opened his doors on his own - showing how pointless walking him there really was - and they walked inside, greeted by Sai's bored stare. It seemed that Sai didn't sleep at all. It was the middle of the night, and Sai was painting. He was always painting. Naruto kind of admired him for that, he had to be really dedicated. But then he remembered the man's dick. He shouldn't had looked at it, now it would haunt him in his dreams.

Apparently, Sasuke thought of the same thing because he snorted for no reason at all. And then Sai smiled at them. Knowingly. Naruto was certain that he knew that they knew. And it was a terrifying thought Naruto had no idea what to do with. So he grabbed Sasuke's arm, and shoved him into his room, shutting the doors behind them. He could hear Sai chuckle.

"He _knows,_ " the blonde whispered.

"Of course he knows, googling it is the first thing you want to do after receiving such information," Sasuke replied, visibly amused. He lay on his bed, not bothering himself with taking off his shoes.

"I'm not going back there alone," Naruto said in a hushed voice, pointing to the doors. He wasn't certain what he was afraid of- he didn't suspect Sai of wanting to chase him with that monstrous dick flung out but, still, being alone with him seemed like a terrible idea.

"I don't mind you staying here," Sasuke replied, a faint smile on his lips. They were quite pale for lips, and, unlike Naruto's, which had a brownish tint to them, these had a cold pink shade. "Besides, I thought that Sai was thinner me with a better haircut and a bigger dick," the brunette teased him.

"And even worse manners," Naruto reminded his friend, sitting next to his lying body.

"I'm glad you've noticed that," Sasuke whispered, his hand ghosting over Naruto's back, and, after a short moment of hesitation, landing there. Long, hard fingers felt his back, tracing a line along his spine, stopping between his shoulder blades. Naruto was stunned, unable to move. It had to be the first time when Sasuke actually touched him - unless one was to count that drunken sloppy hug - and it sent shivers down his arms, making his arm hair stand up in anticipation. "I like you," Sasuke confessed unexpectedly.

"...so don't fuck this up?" Naruto suggested. The brunette arched an eyebrow at him. He looked pissed off. As always. Naruto was slowly getting used to that and it didn't impress him as much as it used to. "I like you so don't fuck this up," he clarified, wondering if he should bother himself with explaining. Sasuke didn't look as if he cared about the explanation anyways. "I like you too," he said, and Sasuke's expression softened. His hand moved to the nape of Naruto's neck. It was pleasantly warm and somewhat rough in touch. "You should buy yourself some hand cream," he said, grabbing the hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze. It was bonier than a regular female hand, which tended to be soft. Naruto could feel every tendon. He leaned backwards, his head resting on Sasuke's stomach. He could hear it grumble, and he smiled at the sounds.

"Are you suggesting that Sai has also a better skin?" the man snorted, his fingers entwining with Naruto's. "If you'll continue that, I'm going to get insecure-"

"As if," Naruto laughed. "Sasuke-"

"Yeah?" the brunette hurried him. He sounded sleepy. Naruto was somewhat angry at him. And at himself. Sasuke was already home, lying in his bed, and he still needed to get to his dorm. And go pass Sai. Naruto would had preferred a Cerberus.

"Neji-"

"Cut the Neji crap, I don't want to talk about him _now_ ," he hissed.

"He's invited you for a beer or something, and he told me to tell you that he's sorry for hitting you, and for before- whatever that means," Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke's protests.

"He's forgiven but I still don't want to see him," Sasuke sighed. His hand went limp. Naruto smiled at that.

"How pissed off would you be if-"

"Very," Sasuke interrupted him. "If you think that I might be angry about something then I probably _am_ going to be angry about it. Especially if Neji is involved."

"Fine," Naruto grunted in defeat. He wanted Neji and Sasuke to make up but it seemed that he would just make Sasuke angry at him too if he was to get involved in their drama. He allowed their connected hands to fall on the mattress between them. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out, reading a text message from Hinata.

' _When are you coming back?_ '

He gulped. It appeared that she didn't change her tactics.

"You can stay here," Sasuke offered him. He didn't even pretend that he didn't look at his phone screen.

"It's not so bad, I mean, she could've went to the pub but she's probably just waiting in front of my dorm-"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Sasuke sighed.

"You're overreacting. Yesterday I came here unannounced as well, and you weren't freaking out," he retorted in an accusing tone.

"You didn't come here unannounced at _night_ ," Sasuke pointed out. "Besides, you're pretty much always invited, so it's different. And I don't live alone-"

"Yeah, you live with a monstrous dick guy," Naruto snorted. "I can deal with Hinata. And I've told her that she's always invited if she wanted to talk to me, so stop making it worse than it is."

"Would you come unannounced at night to stand in front of your ex-girlfriend dorm?" Sasuke questioned in a tired voice. "You probably wouldn't because that's creepy as fuck. Especially if she was living alone-"

"I'm not a girl," Naruto snarled.

"Yes, I've already noticed that," Sasuke retorted. "But you wouldn't do it, right? Tell her to go fuck herself and stay here, I think I still have your shirt-"

"I'm not going to tell her to go fuck herself," Naruto protested. He had to admit that he wouldn't stand anywhere in the middle of the night since it seemed both absurd and creepy but, still, Hinata wasn't dangerous. She probably just wanted to talk. And he definitely owed her that.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Sai," he shouted. Soon enough, Sai appeared in the doorway, giving them both a teasing look.

"I'm not into threesomes," he informed them. "But I can understand why you wouldn't be able to agree which one of you gets the first ride-"

"Not interested," Sasuke snapped at him. Sai shrugged his shoulders. He didn't look disappointed. "Naruto's stalker ex-girlfriend is standing in front of his dorm, and he says that it's completely normal-"

"You're making it sound terrible," Naruto complained, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She just wants to talk-"

"Talk with her on some other occasion," Sai suggested, leaning on the door frame.

Naruto felt deflated. Everyone ganged up on him. Even the monstrous dick guy, whom he met yesterday. Sasuke hiccupped, and it sounded like a victorious hiccup. As if something like this had the right to exist.

"You're drunk," Naruto said, addressing Sasuke, "and you're weird," he told Sai. "That doesn't make you look like good advisors-"

"I would've said the same thing if I was sober," Sasuke whined. "Just stay here and talk with her tomorrow. It can't be this important."

"Then why would she stand there, waiting for me?" Naruto questioned.

"He has a point," Sai admitted. Naruto frowned at him. He was glad that Sai acknowledged his reasoning but, at the same time, he wasn't even talking with him. It seemed that he had already chosen his team. "I can go there with you," Sai offered.

"I don't need you to go anywhere with me," Naruto barked. He was tired of their patronizing attitude.

"She's standing there because she's a stalker, and you're not going anywhere with him," Sasuke muttered. "Nobody's going anywhere. If you really want to talk to her this much, tell her to come here-"

"I'm not making a 5 feet tall girl come here alone," Naruto retorted.

"It's a very good neighborhood," Sai said in an offended tone. "And she can take a cab-"

"You're both insane," Naruto realized. "And I can fend for myself so you can both go fuck yourselves," he snarled. Sai probably would be able to do that, he thought. Theoretically. He would break his dick while doing it but if one was to forget how anatomy worked, it would be possible.

He moved to get up from Sasuke's bed but the man's arm kept him in place. He was much stronger than he looked like.

"I'll pay for her cab. And she will be safer here than she would be there, waiting for you to come back," Sasuke pointed out in a strained tone.

"You don't even want her here," Naruto replied.

"Yes, but I want _you_ here so I'm willing to sacrifice some of my comfort," Sasuke whined, rubbing his temple. "And I really don't like her so appreciate it-"

"She's not going to talk to me with both of you present," Naruto said. Sai hummed under his nose. Apparently, he had a point again.

"You can use my room," Sasuke offered. His eyebrow twitched. He was getting visibly pissed off. "Just don't touch anything while I'm not here-"

"Fine, I'll call her," Naruto relented.

Hinata picked up after the first signal. She asked him where he was, and she didn't sound too happy when she learned that he was at Sasuke's. She also didn't want to come there, saying that they would talk on the next day. Naruto ended the call with a heavy heart. She sounded vulnerable and sad. And he was probably disrespecting all of that by hanging out with a man he wanted to fuck. He had been a shitty boyfriend, and now he was a shitty ex.

"See, it wasn't anything important," Sasuke said smugly. His fingers were now caressing Naruto's collarbone. He was getting quite touchy feely. The worst thing was that Naruto didn't mind it. The touch wasn't unwanted, it was pretty much the opposite of unwanted.

"So, Naruto," Sai started. "Have you made up your mind about modeling for me?"

"He's not doing it," Sasuke chimed in. "That horrible painting is enough-"

"I wasn't asking you," Sai reprimanded Sasuke in an awfully sweet voice. Naruto wanted to hug him for that. Finally, someone was treating him seriously.

"Not yet," Naruto replied, gaining himself a pinch from Sasuke and a smile from Sai.

"Let me know as soon as you can," Sai said, leaving them alone in Sasuke's room.

"I thought you didn't want to do it," Sasuke whined. "Hell, twenty minutes ago you didn't even want to be left alone with him-"

"I've changed my mind, he seems really nice," Naruto barked. "Like, _really_ nice."

"You're just making him think you want him to fuck you," Sasuke sighed. "Besides, I don't think he's ever had any exhibitions. Nothing showed up when I googled his name-"

"Not everything's on google," Naruto pointed out. "And maybe he's using a pseudonym or something. I mean, he's painting a lot, isn't he? And he pays for this apartment, so he has to make _some_ money out of it-"

"You just like disagreeing with me," Sasuke chuckled. "Whatever, it's your junk."

Naruto turned his head to look at the brunette. The man noticed his movement, and raised his upper body to return the look.

"Now Hinata knows I'm here with you," Naruto stated. Sasuke nodded.

"We might as well start doing what everyone's assuming we're doing," he joked. Naruto smiled at him, and shifted his position, lying next to the brunette. His heart fluttered in his chest, and he was quite certain that even Sai could hear it pound.

"I was supposed to ask you out first," he noticed. "And you're drunk-"

"If I was drunk, I wouldn't want you to walk me here, would I?" Sasuke echoed his words, a smug smirk on his relaxed face.

His black eyes were half-lidded, and his bangs was partially obstructing his view. Naruto moved the soft strands away, admiring Sasuke's features. He really was handsome. And pretty. He leaned in, so close that their noses touched. Mimic wrinkles appeared around Sasuke's eyes, indicating that he was smiling. Naruto gasped as Sasuke's hand cupped his cheek, and pulled him closer, their noses almost crashing against one another. Then he felt Sasuke's lips brushing against his own - kind of sloppily, and Naruto didn't hesitate too long before returning the kiss.

Their movements were rather awkward, Sasuke's chapped lips were leaving a faint aftertaste of honey, lemon, pepper and alcohol, and yet, for some reason, it seemed perfect. Naruto moved his arm to embrace Sasuke, who acted as if he was just waiting for it, his body responding immediately, moving to close the distance between them. The hand, which was holding Naruto's face, crawled into his hair, grabbing it firmly.

Naruto could feel his blood jostling through his veins when Sasuke finally opened his mouth, inviting his tongue in. There was even more honey and pepper in there. Moist and hot honey and pepper. Naruto's hand felt Sasuke's back, slowly getting lower to grab one of his ass cheeks. He definitely was into men.

"You're already hard," Sasuke laughed into his mouth. Naruto bit his tongue, and the brunette flinched in discomfort, snorting. Naruto moved on top of him, and Sasuke spread his legs apart, making a place for him. Naruto realized that the man shouldn't be really laughing since he was just as hard as he was. He planted a kiss on Sasuke's jawline, avoiding the bruised part. It felt good. Really good. But, then again, Naruto had just broken up with Hinata. Who had been standing in front of his dorm in the middle of the night, wanting to talk with him. "Just so you know, we're not doing anal today," Sasuke informed him, disrupting his train of thought. The man was panting underneath Naruto, looking quite hot and bothered. Naruto raised himself on his forearms, biting his bottom lip.

"I don't think we should be doing anything today," he blurted out. Sasuke looked disappointed but he just sighed, brushing away hair, which had gotten into his eyes.

"Suit yourself," he replied, ending their kiss, and lying completely limp. "You want some tea or are we going to sleep?" he asked. He looked tired.

"Sleep," Naruto decided, resting his head on Sasuke's chest. He could hear his heart pounding, and feel the man's hard-on poking his stomach. "It's not like I don't want to-"

"Yeah, I can feel that," Sasuke snorted. "Don't bother yourself with it, I don't feel rejected."

"Good," Naruto whispered, getting up. "Because I'm not rejecting you, I just need some time-"

"I'm ready whenever you are," the brunette assured him, rubbing his eyes with straightened fingers. "I don't have a toothbrush for you, so use your finger or something," he added. It seemed that Sasuke already decided on changing the topic to a more practical one. "Hell, you can even use mine."

"I should probably leave mine in here," Naruto mused. The brunette replied with a warm smile. He looked really nice when he was smiling like that but he wasn't doing it too often. "Thanks," he said, hoping that Sasuke would know that he wasn't just thanking him for the toothbrush.

"Don't mention it," the brunette murmured as Naruto closed the doors behind himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i updating fast or am i updating fast  
> someone should stop me  
> remember when i've said that i should be writing my other fics  
> this is me not doing it  
> don't believe me  
> like /ever/


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto opened his eyes and stretched his legs. His foot touched Sasuke's. The man grunted something in his sleep. He looked really peaceful, lying on his side with his back turned to Naruto and his hair scattered on the pillow. It was already bright outside, and that was a little bit worrying. They probably missed some classes.

"Sasuke," he whispered, his hand plopping on the brunette's shoulder. "Wake up," he whined. Sasuke moved his arm to swat Naruto's hand. Naruto sighed and reached for his cellphone to check for the hour. The battery died. He sat up on bed, glancing around the room to find a clock. There was none but he noticed Sasuke's phone lying on the bed stand. He grabbed it, and shook Sasuke awake. "What hour is it?" he asked.

"I don't know, check for yourself," he muttered.

"My phone died, there's only yours," he barked, shoving the device into Sasuke's face. "We're probably late, and now-"

"Shit," Sasuke cursed, abruptly raising his head, and head-butting Naruto in the process. "Sorry," he whispered, launching his cell. Naruto looked over his shoulder, massaging his forehead. He would have a bump, there was no way around it now.

"Fuck, it's already 10 am," Naruto whined, lying back. Sasuke practically jumped over him, and rummaged through his closet and suitcase. He hadn't even unpacked yet. "Your background photo is boring as fuck," Naruto commented. There was no need to hurry now. They were already fucked, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"It was like this when I've gotten the phone," Sasuke retorted. "Get up, we have to leave-"

"That's why it's boring," Naruto explained. "Relax, we're late anyways," he added. Sasuke just shot him an angry stare, storming out of the room. Naruto sighed, rubbing his eyes. He stopped mid-motion, realizing something terrifying. He and Sasuke would be late to the classes _together_. That would definitely be deemed suspicious enough to start a gossip. Especially after they were seen together this many times. Naruto touched his lips, recalling the kiss from the day before. His mouth went dry as a wave of panic flooded him. He was certain that he wasn't ready to deal with the whole world knowing that he was into men. On the other hand, doing anything less would be unfair to Sasuke. Besides, Sasuke probably wouldn't agree to anything less.

Naruto rolled on his stomach, and buried his head in the pillow, letting out a frustrated groan. He flinched in surprise when he was tapped on the shoulder. He faced the intruder.

"What is wrong with you?" Sasuke questioned, tilting his head. His hair was damp, and it was sticking to his scalp, making him look even more like Sai. Or, to be more precise, it made Sai look even more like him. Sasuke was busy drying his hair with a towel, and Naruto caught himself staring at his arms. His form was rather hard but there was some finesse to it.

"Let's skip classes," Naruto suggested.

"I'm not skipping anything just because you're feeling lazy," the brunette grunted. "Get up."

"Fine," Naruto relented. He hoped that Sasuke was right when he had said that people didn't care this much because he definitely wasn't ready to face their scrutiny.

* * *

Naruto followed Sasuke, who had been fuming at him for the past half an hour for stalling, into the lecture hall. Coming there together wasn't a very good idea. People turned their heads at them, and there was nothing Naruto could do about the blush that crept on his cheeks. It was ridiculous. He felt as if he was doing the walk of shame but there wasn't even anything he should be ashamed of.

He cleared his throat, taking a seat next to Sasuke. He noticed Kiba glaring at him, so he sent him a smile. Kiba huffed, and looked away, apparently deciding that looking at Naruto was beneath him. Sasuke's arm brushed against his as the man started to take notes. Naruto jumped in his spot, and moved away. He felt watched, and couldn't even focus on the lecture. Sasuke glanced and him questioningly.

"I'm _not_ letting you copy these," he hissed in a hushed tone. Naruto gazed at him, trying to guess what Sasuke was talking about. Then he realized he was an idiot. It was about notes.

"Okay," he replied. It was the last of his worries.

"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked a while later. Naruto wished he stopped whispering to him because he was leaning towards him whenever he did that, and his friends would now correctly guess that Naruto was gay for Sasuke. And it wasn't something he wanted them to discover this soon.

"I'm great," he blurted out.

"You look funny," Sasuke decided. He got even closer. Almost as close as yesterday. Naruto gulped. Sasuke wouldn't kiss him now in front of all these people, right? "Are you sick again or what?"

"...maybe," Naruto mumbled out. Last time, Sasuke complained about not wanting to get sick. Perhaps his fear of germs would make him keep a safe distance. "You want me to change places?"

Sasuke stared at him as if he was insane. So he didn't want Naruto to change places.

"Maybe you shouldn't work this much," he suggested. Naruto mentally cursed. Sasuke worrying about him was the last thing he wanted others to overhear. "Or maybe you shouldn't undress for random men," he snorted.

Oh. So there _was_ something worse than Sasuke worrying about him. "Go back to taking your notes," Naruto grunted. He wished for this discussion to be over. The brunette smirked at him suggestively. He was enjoying himself way too much.

"Should I get myself tested-"

"No," Naruto interrupted him much louder than he originally planned to. The lecturer gave him an evil eye before returning to his boring rambling.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Sasuke growled at him.

"It's nothing, just leave me alone for a whi-"

"You're fucking confusing," the man snapped. "But fine, be alone-"

"Do you have to be so over the top?" Naruto retorted, rubbing his temples. "Tone down a bit-"

"Yes, I fucking have to," Sasuke snarled. "And I'm not going to tiptoe around you just because you have a fucking cold. Control your fucking emotions-"

"Maybe you should control yours, it's not me who curses for no reason at all-"

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting you?" the professor, Mr Hatake inquired, a threatening smile on his face. "Finish your lovers' quarrel outside-"

"It's not a-" Naruto wanted to protest but Mr Hatake's stare stopped him mid-sentence. He hung his head, and left the lecture hall, Sasuke following him. He could hear the other man coming to a halt the moment they reached the corridor.

"You've got me thrown out," Sasuke hissed.

"No, you've got yourself thrown out," Naruto corrected him. "You were the one, who kept talking to me-"

"Would you rather have me shut up?" Sasuke questioned, closing the distance between them. Naruto stepped back until he walked into a wall. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and got uncomfortably close again. "I've asked you something-"

"It's not like this," he whined. "You're just really pushy-"

"Naruto," a familiar voice whispered. Naruto turned his head to see Hinata, who stared at him, looking worried.

"Hey," he mumbled out.

"I'm _pushy_?" Sasuke asked, completely ignoring Hinata. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Leave him alone," she demanded in a weak voice. Sasuke turned his head at her, making a displeased noise.

"Fuck off," he growled. Naruto gulped. The situation was getting dire. He grabbed Sasuke's arms, forcing him to refocus his attention to him. "What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke questioned.

"Hinata, I have everything under control, I'll talk to you later," he promised, trying to pull Sasuke away. The man didn't budge from his spot.

"Under fucking control?" Sasuke barked. "What the heck is wrong with me that you need to keep everything under control?"

"There's nothing wrong with you," Naruto assured the man. "Hinata, leave us alone for a while," he pleaded. Sasuke looked as if he was about to erupt.

"Stop fucking patronizing me," he said. Hinata kept staring at them, apparently deciding that she needed to stay where she was. Naruto cursed under his breath.

"Look, I'm sorry, all right? I screwed up-"

"Damn right you did," Sasuke retorted. "I was willing to give you all the fucking time you needed to sort your stupid affairs but I've never fucking agreed to being pushed around while you're at it-"

"Yes-" Naruto tried to say but Hinata interrupted him.

"What time?"

Sasuke cackled, turning his head to her. "Not your fucking business. You've been asked to leave _thrice_. Get a clue, and fuck off already," he snorted.

"I'm not leaving Naruto alone with you again," she protested. "I know what you're capable of-"

"Oh, I'm sure of that, Nancy," he laughed.

Naruto was slowly starting to panic. It was getting worse and worse with every passing second. He needed Hinata to leave. Then he would be able to reason with Sasuke.

"Hinata, please leave us alone-"

"You don't have to sacrifice yourself for me," she declared. Naruto gawked at her, completely oblivious to why she would say it. It appeared that Sasuke knew because he burst out laughing. Hinata's face got red, and she stuttered something under her nose.

"Five times already, and you're still standing there," Sasuke wheezed.

"I'm not afraid of you," she cried. She looked afraid, though. Naruto wanted Sasuke to shut up but he was certain that asking him to do it now would just make matters worse. And Hinata was just as unreasonable.

"Hinata, I beg of you, leave-"

"Sixth," Sasuke snorted.

"Don't interrupt me," Naruto growled. Black eyes narrowed at him. Sasuke was definitely pissed off now. Hinata was still adamant about not leaving, so Naruto pulled Sasuke with him, heading towards the toilets. She wouldn't follow them _there_.

"What, you're in for a make up sex now?" Sasuke teased him in a hushed voice. Not hushed enough. Hinata heard him.

"Stop it," she whimpered. Naruto cursed under his breath.

"Sasuke, stop being so fucking difficult. And Hinata, I'm serious, leave us alone. You're not helping," he fumed.

"So I'm being difficult now," Sasuke mused sardonically. "You know what? Don't bother with asking me out, I'm not interested anymore. Have fun with your stalker," he snapped, freeing himself from Naruto's grasp.

"Stop being such a fucking drama queen," the blonde shouted, following him. He could hear Hinata wheeze, so he looked over his shoulder. It seemed that she had another attack. "Sasuke, wait for me, we'll talk in a minute," he pleaded.

"No," the man said, turning on his heel and walking away. Naruto sighed, running up to Hinata and helping her find the inhaler. It was a disaster.

* * *

"What did he mean when he told you to not ask him out?" Hinata asked. Sasuke disappeared twenty minutes ago but she already calmed down. They found themselves a nice quiet table in the buffet. Naruto wanted to go find the man and talk to him but he couldn't exactly leave Hinata. Not after giving her a second asthma attack.

"Don't worry about it," he blurted out. "How do you feel? You wanted to talk to me yesterday, what was it about?"

"About us," she mumbled out, her eyes already welled up with tears. Naruto gazed at her, realizing that he absolutely hated his guts. He was making her cry _again_. As if she didn't suffer enough.

"We can be friends," he offered, feeling terrible.

"Nobody will ever love you as much as I do," she confessed. "I've seen you broken, and I've always admired how you'd get up. It gave me strength. We're the same," she sobbed. "Only I can understand you," she whispered. "Nobody else will. They don't know you the way I do. You're my most important person."

"Hinata, thank you, really," he said, his throat tight. "You're important to me too-"

"Only I can make you happy," she cried. "I know that. I saw how other girls treated you. They didn't treasure you, they didn't recognize how kind you were-"

"I've had my fair share of screw-ups," Naruto stated, forcing a chuckle.

"That's not true," she protested. "You're perfect. Even now you're trying to protect me from Sasuke. But you don't have to do that. I can deal with his jealousy-"

"I don't want you to _deal_ with Sasuke-"

"I can really do that," she assured him. "You don't have to suffer, I can protect you, just like you've protected me before. You're the only reason why I'm still here so please, let me repay you," she pleaded.

Naruto gulped. He hoped that she didn't mean what he thought she meant. He didn't want to be her reason to live. And he didn't want her to hurt Sasuke.

"Sasuke is my friend," he said.

"He's not your friend," she protested. "If he was your friend, he wouldn't try to break us apart. And he's a really awful person. Do you even know how many people he's hurt? And he got away with it just because his brother is a lawyer-"

"Hinata, leave him alone, please," he uttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He _wanted_ to know what Sasuke had done. The man had never denied that he had had a criminal record. And it seemed that he really was used to fighting. But, still, he wanted Sasuke to tell him that on his own.

"...do you know that the insurance company didn't pay them because they proved that the fire was their fault?" she asked quietly. Naruto gaped at her. He didn't even know anything about any fire. He felt terrible, probing into Sasuke's life like that.

"... Hinata, stop," he pleaded. "First of all, I'm not going to believe that Sasuke or his brother is some pyromaniac, and secondly...I doubt that he wants anyone to know about that. These aren't pleasant memories."

"...you're a very kind person," Hinata said, smiling at him. "You forgive everything. It's really inspiring-"

"I don't want to be inspiring," Naruto protested. "Hinata, we'll talk later. I need to go," he informed her, getting up from the chair. He needed to find Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh. The moron finally found him. Not that Sasuke was actually hiding - that would be stupid - but he did hope that Naruto would notice that he wasn't in the mood to talk with him.

"Sasuke," the blonde whispered, squatting in the grass near the bench Sasuke was lying on. "Sorry for everything. I was an idiot," Naruto grunted.

"You _are_ an idiot," Sasuke corrected him.

"Whatever you say," he chuckled. Sasuke scowled. He didn't want to make Naruto believe that it was already over. He flinched in surprise as warm fingers touched his forehead, brushing away his hair. "Sasuke, look, I'm sorry, I was acting stupid. And then you started acting stupid, and now it's a total mess-"

"You're the one to blame for that," Sasuke hissed. He had no idea what had possessed Naruto. They had been having a perfectly normal conversation until he decided to be a dick. "And I wasn't acting stupid," he added.

"You _were_ ," Naruto disagreed. "But I kind of caused it so I'll let it go. I," he started but it seemed that the courage left him. He took a deep breath, and started talking again. "I was freaking out because I believed that everyone thought we've had sex. And then you made it look as if we really had-"

"I don't get it," Sasuke muttered, cocking one eye at the blonde, who sent him a warm smile. He really didn't understand it. He didn't know what would be so terrible about people thinking they had sex, and he didn't know how telling someone to do their notes would send such a vibe. "You're paranoid."

"Same goes for you," Naruto whined.

"I thought you wanted to apologize to me," Sasuke pointed out. "That's a rather poor start-"

"Okay, fine," the blonde grunted. "Sorry for acting stupid. I didn't want to make you sad-"

"I'm not sad," Sasuke scoffed. "You're giving yourself too much credit."

Naruto snorted as if he heard something funny. "Sorry for making you angry then," he corrected himself. "But you have to admit that you were being pretty obnoxious as well."

"I wasn't," Sasuke protested. Naruto poked his cheek in a playful manner. "Maybe a little," he relented.

"I'll take it," the man replied, a huge grin forming on his face. His eyes didn't correspond with the rest of his face. They looked worried. "Then... Are you lifting that ban on asking you out?" Sasuke frowned. It shouldn't end this quickly.

"No," he decided. "How was your stalker?"

"She's basically told me that there was no-one else for me," Naruto said. "And that you're a despicable human being," he teased.

"What did I do this time?" Sasuke questioned. The mood was slowly changing for the better. Nevertheless, Naruto still seemed strangely sad. Sasuke didn't like seeing him like that.

"Nothing in particular," the blonde replied, resting his forearms on the bench. "Must be your personality," he chuckled. "Calling her Nancy was a weak ass move too," he snorted.

" _This_ is why there's no-one else for you," Sasuke muttered, trying to stop his lips from curling upwards. Naruto smiled at him, and put his head on his forearms, resting it against Sasuke's side. " _Now_ you're going to make people think we've fucked," he mused.

"They probably already think that anyways. We've came late together. And then you kept on leaning on me and whispering. It's not exactly your usual MO," Naruto uttered.

"You don't mind it happening when we're together. Or when we're at the pub," Sasuke pointed out. "Besides, they might as well think that we're both hungover-"

"Not after your comments about undressing for men and testing yourself," Naruto grunted. "And don't get me started on what you've said when Hinata was there," he barked. "Why would you want her to think that we're lovers?" he asked. "And I minded it because this time it's people I know and have to see five times a week. I care about what they think."

"I'm not this bad," Sasuke complained. "And I didn't want her to think that but she was annoying as hell. But whatever, I can stop," he grunted. "I have no idea why you would want to ask me out if you don't want to do anything about it. You're just wasting my time," he added. Naruto sighed, rubbing his head against Sasuke's stomach.

"Do you really expect me to immediately adapt?" he asked. "I know it sucks for you, and I'm trying to do my best to spare you all of this crap but I need you to be a little bit more forgiving," he whispered. "...Hinata's told me things about you I shouldn't know," he confessed. "And I was quite conflicted about telling you but I think you should know that I know-"

"What is it?" Sasuke inquired with a heavy heart.

"The fire," the blonde mumbled out. Sasuke sighed, looking at the sky. It was rather cloudy and grey.

"What about it?" he asked. He didn't want to think about it. And he hated the fact that someone took a liberty of letting anyone know about it. At least Naruto was almost stupidly honest. Shivers ran through Sasuke's body as a warm hand grabbed his. It was slightly irritating but Sasuke knew that the blonde meant well, so he didn't protest.

"Something about insurance," Naruto answered.

"I see," Sasuke deadpanned. He didn't feel like explaining, and it seemed that Naruto didn't expect him to. He ruffled the blond mop of hair, his hand staying there for much longer than it needed to. "She probably made it look terrible," he muttered.

"Don't worry about it," the blonde replied. "I know you didn't start it yourself-"

Sasuke shot him a shocked stare. That didn't even make sense. It seemed that Hinata took quite some liberty when telling the story.

"I wasn't even _there_ when it happened, I was away on a school trip," he stated. "That fucking bitch," he cursed, rubbing his forehead. "I'm going to find her and her a serious talk with-"

"Sasuke, don't," Naruto pleaded. "She's already on the edge, and pushing her over it won't fix anything-"

"I'm not going to push her over anything," Sasuke whined.

"You're pretty intense whenever you're pissed off, okay? And she can't take it, you'll make her panic, it will make you look like a total douchebag, and that's all you're going to accomplish because she won't stop-"

"Stop being such a fucking doormat," he snarled. Naruto heaved a heavy sigh.

"Here we go again," he muttered. "Sasuke, just let me take care of it. You don't know her the way I do-"

"Ah, yes, you're a goddamn specialist on crazy bitches," he shouted. "Just leave me fucking alone," he growled. He wanted to say more but the bitch herself decided to make an appearance. Sasuke hated being interrupted. Especially if it happened twice during the same hour. "Fuck-"

"Calm down, Sasuke," Naruto pleaded. It appeared that he didn't notice her. "I'm going to take care of her, just trust me-"

"Take care of whom?" she inquired in a shaky voice. Naruto raised his head, his face pale. Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. Finally. It finally fucking happened.

"Nobody important," Naruto blurted out in panic.

"This much is certain," Sasuke cackled. The blonde let go off of his hand in some weak attempt to pretend that he didn't hold it at all. There was however nothing he could do about Sasuke's hand buried in his locks.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" she asked. Her whole body was trembling.

"A video game. Sasuke can't get pass the final boss," Naruto blabbered.

"I would destroy you in any video game, moron," Sasuke laughed. "Do yourself a favor and stop lying-" Naruto drew a shaky breath. He looked just as panicked as Hinata, and Sasuke started to feel somewhat guilty. Perhaps he really was pushy. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. "Hinata, leave me and Naruto alone-"

"I'm not staying alone with you," the blonde protested, standing up. Sasuke's hand fell on the cold grass. "I'm going home, and I don't want to see either of you," he added, grabbing his bag, and leaving. Hinata was crying again. It seemed that it was all she had been doing for the past few days.

"Naruto, wait," Sasuke objected, getting up and following him.

"Piss off," Naruto hissed. "I'm patient but I have my limits."

"I know, sorry. I wasn't thinking-"

"Yes, you weren't," Naruto agreed. Even his walk was angry. "You're an inconsiderate, selfish asshole-"

"If I was an inconsiderate and selfish asshole, I wouldn't care about you," Sasuke pointed out, running up to him. "This situation just isn't the easiest, all right? She's fucking accusing me of murdering my parents, and you want me to sit still and do nothing about it because it might fucking upset her. What about me? I'm fucking upset too," he yelled. Naruto stopped abruptly, and Sasuke almost walked into his back. "You can't possibly blame me for being angry now-"

"I'm not," the blonde whispered. "But you're not making anything easier by being like this-"

" _This_ is how I _am_ if you haven't noticed," Sasuke snarled.

"...there's more to you than just this," Naruto disagreed. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he cursed under his breath. "To be honest, I have no idea what to do now."

Sasuke sighed. He too had no idea. "You can't make both me and her happy," he said.

"Oh yes, make me fucking choose. This is great help, thanks," Naruto barked at him.

"I'm _not_ making you choose, I'm merely stating a fact," Sasuke retorted. "She doesn't want me here, and I don't want her anywhere near me either. _I_ at least have a reason for that-"

"Yes, you're totally not forcing me to choose," the blonde gritted through his teeth. He looked over Sasuke's shoulder, probably at Hinata. Sasuke turned his head. She looked like a mess. He rolled his eyes. The moron would obviously run up to her to console her. Because she looked sad. And, apparently, sad girls were Naruto's weakness.

"What would you do if I acted like her, and she like me?" he questioned, resting his hand on hip.

"...I can't exactly imagine you crying your eyes out," the blonde mumbled out.

"We can leave out the crying. Imagine I was following you, and trying to find dirt on her," he said. The blue eyes widened in an emotion Sasuke didn't recognize. He hoped it was shock.

"That would suck," Naruto admitted carefully, weighing every word.

"Yes, it would," Sasuke agreed, praying that the moron would finally realize how stupid he had been.

"But I wouldn't just fucking abandon you-"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Sasuke cursed. "Whatever, do what you want. My patience has its limits too," he snapped. He was done with Naruto. "Look, I'll choose for you. It's not me," he barked, turning on his heel, and walking away. He'd wasted enough time already.

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto sighed, looking over Gaara's shoulder at Sasuke, who decided to finally appear in Yahiko's pub. He didn't look too happy about it but, apparently, Orochimaru disagreed to see him anywhere else. It had been two weeks already since the last time they had spoken. Or, to be more precise, since the last time Sasuke said anything to him. It seemed that he was good at ignoring people he didn't want to have any contact with.

Their last conversation was a goddamn disaster, and Naruto cursed himself for not running after him immediately. He should had done that. He should had ignored Hinata, and chase after Sasuke to let him know that he was far more important. Because now it was too late. Naruto tried to contact Sasuke but the man told him not to, and ignoring his wishes didn't seem like the best way around the problem. He would probably just get more annoyed.

"You're staring again," Gaara muttered, looking bored. Naruto blinked in surprise, forcing himself to grin at his interlocutor.

"Our son-"

"Cut the crap," Gaara interrupted him. "You're acting weird ever since you two stopped talking."

It was probably true. Naruto passed the test but he couldn't even pretend to be excited about it. He was generally as not excited and not motivated about life as it was humanly possible. He missed Sasuke. All of Sasuke. Even his random outbursts of anger, which was usually aimed at whoever happened to appear in front of his eyes.

The situation with Hinata was just as hopeless as it used to be. Naruto was constantly telling her that the most he could do was to be friends with her but it was a concept she wasn't able to grasp. She'd presented him numerous theories about why he had been acting cold towards her, and almost all of them involved Sasuke. Naruto hoped his friend didn't try talking to her like he had said he would. It would be catastrophic.

"I'm not acting weird," Naruto tried to dismiss Gaara.

"You're brooding," the redhead pointed out. Naruto tilted his head at him, forcing a smile on his face. "This is what I'm talking about," Gaara said. "See, you're putting that shit eating grin on your face but it doesn't look convincing-"

"It's normal to feel bad after a friendship is over," Naruto grunted.

"Why is it over though? You've never said why he's so angry at you," Gaara questioned, sipping his drink.

"Because I'm an idiot," the blonde replied. The worst thing was that Naruto realized that Sasuke had been pretty much right about pretty much everything. His methods were kind of extreme, and there were probably better ways to solve the issue but, still, Sasuke was right. "I've never told this to anyone but I like him in a rather yes homo way," Naruto confessed. Gaara didn't seem surprised. It was strangely reassuring. Naruto hoped that other people reaction would be similar. "So I guess I'm kinda sorta brokenhearted right now-"

"And he's already found himself a rebound," Gaara mused, turning his head to look at Orochimaru. However, he and Sasuke had left their spot quite a while ago, disappearing somewhere in the crowd. Sasuke was already staggering, and Naruto wanted to abandon his post and go look for him to make sure the man wouldn't do something he would regret later but, at the same time, he was absolutely certain that no amount of reasoning would work on Sasuke. The only good thing was that Orochimaru wasn't as bad as Naruto had anticipated him to be. "He really isn't waiting," Gaara chuckled. Naruto glanced at where the redhead was staring to find the two men practically frotting. He couldn't hide the frown that formed on his face. "They should get a room-"

"Stop it," Naruto grunted, looking away. It was painful to watch Sasuke with someone else, and he was angry at himself for how jealous he felt. He had no right to be possessive of Sasuke.

"...I think they're going for it," Gaara mumbled out. This time he sounded sorry. Naruto sighed, clenching his fists. He glared at the two men. Sasuke was totally wasted. So was Orochimaru but he didn't really care about him.

"Take care of the bar," Naruto told Gaara, who nodded as if it was something he expected. Naruto hoped Yahiko wouldn't fire him for that. Theoretically, he was screwing up bad. Gaara had no right to stand there and serve anyone. He wasn't an employee and he didn't have all the required tests.

Naruto walked up to Sasuke and Orochimaru, stopping them in their tracks. Sasuke wasn't even able to focus his eyes on him but he still managed to look pissed off. It was probably a gift.

"Sasuke, you're totally wasted, and there's a high chance you don't want to do this-"

"Since when do you fucking care about what I want?" the brunette slurred, almost falling into him. Naruto grabbed his shoulders, helping him to stand straight. It wasn't an easy task. As much as Sasuke probably hated it happening, his body welcomed additional support, leaning on Naruto's arms. "Orochimaru," he called out. Orochimaru blinked, studying Sasuke.

"You really  _are_  wasted," he pointed out. "I'm all in for a fuck but-"

"For fuck's sake, would one of you finally fucking decide on whether you want to fuck me or not and stick to your fucking decision?!" Sasuke growled. Naruto sent Orochimaru a faint smile. Perhaps he should be the one to reason with.

"I'll take care of him," he promised. Orochimaru nodded in agreement, and left. It was easier than Naruto anticipated it to be. Now would come the difficult part. "Sasuke, I care about what you want-"

"Suck me off then," the man hissed. Naruto gulped. "This is what I want-"

"I've said I  _care_ , not that I'll do anything you'll ask me to," he pointed out. Sasuke swallowed. Then he swallowed again. And again. Naruto pulled him towards the toilets, well aware of how it would end if he didn't. They got lucky - one of the stalls doors was wide open. If it wasn't for it, Sasuke would had never reached the bowl. Naruto held his hair for him as he emptied his stomach. "You know I would've chosen you if you actually gave me the time to process that, right?" he questioned. He had no idea why he was doing it. Sasuke was still angry at him, and he wouldn't remember having that conversation in the morning. "You're really important to me," he whispered. His words were muffled by the sound of Sasuke's heaving. "Like, really impor-"

"Leave me alone," Sasuke ordered. "I'm not interested," he said. Naruto stepped back, letting go off the black hair. This would be the second time Sasuke used his 'not interested' line on him. And Naruto had seen how final it was.

"Okay," he relented. "I'll call Sai and ask him to take care of you," he informed the brunette. He didn't protest, so Naruto fulfilled his promise. Fortunately, Sai agreed. "You'll just have to wait with me for him," Naruto told the man, who was busy throwing up. He wasn't even sure whether Sasuke actually heard him. Or if he listened.

"You're fucked up," Sasuke whispered in a tired tone ten minutes later. "It wouldn't change anything if I waited for you to make up your mind. If I did, you would've still tried to please both of us," he complained.

"I'm not trying to please her," the blonde disagreed. "I'm mostly trying to protect you. It doesn't really work, I guess. And it backfired-"

"You're a total moron," Sasuke sighed. He moved away from the toilet, and plopped on the tiled floor. Naruto wanted to tell him that it wasn't exactly the best idea there was but it was already too late for that. The damage was done. "Shouldn't you go back to the bar? Who's serving the horse piss now?"

"Gaara," Naruto replied. "I'm still here, so I guess Yahiko didn't notice it yet. If he did, I would already be unemployed," he added, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "You won't even remember talking to me, will you?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"I probably won't," Sasuke admitted. "So it's not worth risking your job-"

"At least we  _are_  talking," Naruto pointed out. It was all that mattered to him at the moment. "Orochimaru isn't this bad. Like, he's better than me, I guess-"

"I have to get  _this_  drunk to stomach the idea of fucking him," Sasuke sneered. "He's terrible-"

"You always have Sai," Naruto suggested.

"Yeah, him," Sasuke chuckled. "He's all talk. You can stop worrying about him wanting to fuck you. He doesn't want to fuck anyone," he said, hiding his head in his arms. Naruto felt guilty about the relief that flooded him. He shouldn't be relieved. Sasuke wasn't his.

"So you've actually tried that," the blonde teased, trying to rid his voice of any strain. He hoped that even if he and Sasuke wouldn't be able to restore their relationship to the state it had been before their last fight, then they perhaps could be at least friends again. He needed that. He needed Sasuke in his life.

"I was willing to try pretty much anything," the brunette confessed. "But you don't even care-"

"I do," Naruto protested. "But me being jealous about you isn't going to help anything," he snapped. "If I could turn back time, I would've made sure that you know that I care. A lot. Like, I think I might be crushing on you, and you'd be the third person I've ever had a crush on-"

"You're telling me this when you know I won't remember," Sasuke snorted.

"I would've told you this when you're sober but you're not exactly interested in listening to me then," Naruto explained. "And I'm trying to solve the Hinata issue. I feel as if I was training a cat, like, seriously. She walks up to me - fine. She asks how my day went - fine. She starts talking about you - I tell her to stop and go away. There are  _some_  effects. Like, it's more like a process, I think. And I keep telling her that you and me are friends because I can't help my wishful thinking," he laughed. "And I think that by now she's realized that I wouldn't forgive her hurting you-"

"Tell her you're crushing on me," Sasuke demanded.

"Then you'll freak out because you'll think I'm obsessed with you," Naruto sighed, kneeling next to him. He flinched in surprise when he heard Yahiko calling out his name. He sounded beyond mad. Sasuke looked more amused than sorry, and Naruto had to chew the insult he wanted to throw at him. After all, Sasuke didn't ask him to babysit him. He wouldn't feel guilty even if something ran over Naruto, and making him lose his job was probably far less exciting. "I'll send Gaara here. Don't be a dick to him-"

"I don't need him here," Sasuke stated in a calm voice. "Go lose your job, I'm not going anywhere until Sai comes," he promised, resting his head against the stall wall. He looked like a hot mess. Naruto heard Yahiko scream again, so he got up, ready to leave. He was completely screwed now. "Tell her you're crushing on me. Perhaps I won't freak out."

"I guess it can't get worse than it already is," Naruto sighed. "I really have to leave now," he excused himself as Yahiko called him once more. He hesitated for a while. He was going to lose his job either way but there was no guarantee that Sasuke would talk to him again. Perhaps he should stay. His musings were cut short as the doors to the stall were thrown open, and a very pissed off Yahiko appeared in them.

"Go back there this instant," he growled. "I'm going to cut your pay. And if you'll ever do that again, you're fired," he muttered. Naruto nodded, refraining himself from grinning. Yahiko was a much better boss than whoever would take his place.

* * *

 

Sasuke frowned upon seeing happy Sai. Sai shouldn't be happy. Nobody should be this happy on a morning like this. He passed him on his way to the bathroom. He needed to take a shower because his skin smelled like the very substance that made him sick in the first place. The worst thing was that apparently his plan to hook up with Orochimaru failed again. Sasuke had gotten a text from him. It seemed that the man said that they will either fuck sober or not at all. The answer was pretty obvious. Sasuke had no idea how he got home. He suspected that Naruto had something to do with it but, then again, the blonde was nowhere to be seen. That was good. Sasuke was afraid that his drunken self would be more than happy to accept Naruto's care.

"You've told me to tell you that Naruto is crushing on you," Sai chirped. He took out a smoked salmon out of the fridge, and put it on the table, probably to upset Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke glared at him. It was pretty random, and made little to no sense.

"What gave me that idea?" he asked, standing as far from Sai and his fish as it was possible. He wasn't even eating it.

"I don't know. I've found you in the bathroom, sitting on the floor, and throwing a tantrum because some redhead told you to not sit there-"

"You've brought me home?" Sasuke questioned. It was stupid. Sai wasn't sociable enough to go to a pub on Saturday night. Especially if he was to go there alone. "What were you doing there?"

"Naruto asked me to haul your drunken ass home. He's never said that you're going to throw up in the cab, though-"

That explained the state of Sasuke's clothes.

"You owe me. A lot. I had to pay that cabby for the damages," Sai complained.

" _Naruto_  owes you, he's the one who wanted you to do it," Sasuke grunted back. "I can't even go out to not run into that moron-"

"You say that now but yesterday," Sai stopped mid-sentence to smile, "yesterday that moron was all you were willing to talk about," he concluded in a nasty tone. "You have it hard for him," he mused.

"Even if I did, he's still an idiot. I've made myself perfectly clear. It's either me or that bitch," Sasuke muttered. "And he didn't choose me."

"You're asking him to tell someone he knew for more than five years, someone who's in love with him, and whom he's saved from some bullies, to get lost. And the girl obviously has some issues," Sai pointed out.

"That's not my problem," Sasuke retorted. He was getting annoyed. And here he was, thinking that Sai wasn't the worst flatmate there was. He'd even started to feel bad about having to move out in two weeks time. Especially since he needed to find himself a new place. Neji offered him to take him back but he refused. Nevertheless, he accepted the man's apologies. At least the asshole didn't have any problems with terminating the lease prematurely.

"But it's  _his_  problem," Sai stated. "If he was like you, you two would've avoided the hell out of one another. He's a good kid, and that's why you like him. You just can't stand that you're not the only one he's nice to."

Sasuke gave the man an evil eye.

"I wasn't aware I've asked you for some counseling," he growled.

"You expect him to take your shit but get mad when he takes someone else's," Sai continued, completely unfazed by Sasuke's remark.

"Should I call him and tell him that he's missing our couple therapy session?" Sasuke snarled. "Or is this my one on one?"

"You're funnier when you're drunk," Sai said. "The point is that he likes you. And yesterday you've thought it was important."

"It's not," Sasuke hissed, leaving the man alone in the kitchen. He heard him open the fridge again. Of course. The dickhead just wanted him to feel sick. It worked.

* * *

 

Naruto stared at Hinata, bracing himself for what was about to come. Calling her to ask if he could visit her probably wasn't the smartest move since she looked more than hopeful. He should had waited for her to talk to him. But he was way too anxious to actually wait for it to happen. There was a chance that he could fix what he'd screwed up. He owed this to Sasuke, and, what was even more important, he owed this to Hinata.

Hinata was smiling at him, and Naruto needed to constantly remind himself to not act on his instinct and smile back at her. It would just complicate things more. He generally needed to keep himself in check to not act too nice, and that was almost impossible. Almost.

"You wanted to tell me something," the woman whispered in a sweet voice. Naruto gulped. He already felt like an asshole. Wasn't he being selfish now? There was no guarantee that it would work. Perhaps Sasuke was going to freak out. Or, what was even more probable, he wouldn't care.

"I don't see Sasuke as just a friend-"

"He's not your friend," Hinata stated, her lips curling upwards.

"No, he  _is_  my friend. But he's also more-"

"...a brother?" she suggested. She didn't look too happy about the development. Naruto shook his head. Hinata would be the fourth person he came out to if he was to count Sasuke. The other ones were Gaara and Sakura. Sakura was way too shocked for his liking but it seemed that she accepted it. And she wished him good luck. He didn't expect the same from Hinata.

"No, I think I have a crush on him," he mumbled out. He wished he had worded it in a more straightforward fashion. "I have a crush on him," he corrected himself, inhaling deeply. "I really like him, and I would like to be with him-"

"Maybe it's just a phase," Hinata whispered. Her arms were shaking. Naruto frowned. It definitely wasn't a phase. Still, he couldn't blame her for using that argument. He had used it himself when he talked himself out of his attraction towards Haku. But Haku was easier to explain. Naruto thought he was girl. The worst thing was that when the boy told him he was male, his feelings didn't change even one bit.

"It's not," he stated. "Hinata, I got together with you because I was afraid you'd do something to him," he continued. "I was being an asshole to you. I'm really sorry for that."

"You weren't," she protested, her lips quivering. She was hugging herself.

"I was. You should be angry at me-"

"I couldn't be angry at you," she exclaimed. "I love you, and you're the kindest person I've ever met-"

"I'm not," Naruto objected. "What I did was horrible, I didn't take your feelings into consideration, and I've hurt you. You deserve better. I'm really sorry. You can get back at me however you want, just, please, leave Sasuke alone. I'll step in if you'll do anything to him-"

"Why is he so important to you?" she cried. "He's awful, and you don't even know him.  _I_  know more about him than you do-"

"Because I wait for him to tell me everything on his own," Naruto snapped. "You can't just invade people's private lives like that," he complained. "And he's important to me because he makes me happy, and I think that sometimes I make him happy as well, and that makes me even happier-"

"You make  _me_  happy. And I  _know_  I can make you happy," she whimpered.

"You can't," Naruto disagreed. "And I don't make you happy. I make you cry and panic. You're always stressed when we're talking, and you can't be yourself around me because you try to please me. And I can't be myself around you either because my real self upsets you-"

"It doesn't upset me," she sobbed.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, refraining himself from consoling her. He couldn't do that, it would just ruin things for both of them. "It does," he stated in a firm voice. "We're not going to be together," he added. "I really don't see a way for us to do it."

"There must be a way," she scowled. "Just give me some time, and I will find it-"

"Hinata, no. I can't return your feelings," he whispered. "Please, accept this. I like you but this is it, and there won't be more. I understand it if you're angry at me, and I'm really sorry for everything I've done to you but this is the only way for me to fix this mess."

She started to wheeze, so he handed her the inhaler, trying to avoid touching her, and waited for her to calm down.

"Hinata, we're going to see each other less frequently from now on. I'm not going to come to your cousin's parties anymore, so consider it your safe haven," he said. He would see his high school friends on other occasions - if they felt like it. "Consider it a goodbye."

* * *

 

Sasuke glared at his phone screen, feeling rather ambivalent. He had gotten a text from Naruto. A text claiming that the moron told the stalker that he had done what Sasuke asked him to. Namely, he had told her he had a crush on Sasuke. And, apparently, Naruto and Hinata couldn't be more over than they were now. Sasuke bit the insides of his cheeks, trying to focus. His stomach hated him. Probably so did the liver but this particular organ had no way of complaining.

He had no idea why he would ask Naruto to do it, it seemed stupid and childish. But, at the same time, he couldn't help being happy about it. Still, he didn't know whether he wanted the moron to know about it. He lay back on his bed, staring at his cell. To his surprise, it started ringing.

"Itachi," Sasuke muttered, massaging his head. Out of all the inconvenient times his brother could had chosen to contact him, it had to be this one. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good. I'll visit you in a month or so," he informed him in a dull tone. "Aunt said you were coming home a lot."

"So what?" Sasuke questioned. Some years ago he would probably wonder whether he wasn't bothering her but now he was more than certain that he wasn't. She liked having him there even if she wasn't able to spend too much time with him.

"You don't like it there? Are you and Neji arguing?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. His brother didn't know that he and Neji didn't live together anymore. Or that they had a fight.

"We're not. I live with Sai now," Sasuke told his brother.

"Why?" Of course, Itachi had to know  _everything_. He probably wasn't physically able to not ask annoying questions. "Are you all right there? I could see you sooner-"

"I don't need you to come here sooner," Sasuke barked. "I'm doing fine. I and Neji just didn't work out. There's nothing bad about it."

"Who's Sai? Is he your boyfriend?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Having Sai as his boyfriend would be awful. "No, he's just a friend." He tapped his fingers on the mattress. He felt like discussing the issue of Naruto but, simultaneously, he thought the idea to be stupid. Itachi would never let that topic go.

"Are you happy?" his brother inquired. Sasuke sighed.

"I'm fine," he replied. Itachi clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Sasuke probably had that habit because of him. "I'm happy," he corrected himself.

"I'm going to visit you sooner. It shouldn't be a problem-"

"Don't," Sasuke interrupted him. "I'm just hungover. It's nothing too drastic."

"I see," Itachi said in a calmer voice. "You know I'm here if you needed me, right?"

"Yes. But all I need right now is someone, who would bring me a glass of water, and I don't feel like waiting for you to get here, so I guess I'll have to do it myself," he sighed.

"You know I wouldn't bring you the water anyways. Hungover isn't a sickness, it's a punishment-"

"I look like shit, you  _would_  bring me the water," Sasuke disagreed.

"Whom were you drinking with?" Itachi questioned.

"A friend," Sasuke answered. He was sure Itachi wouldn't like Orochimaru. So there was no need to tell him about the man. He probably would like Naruto, though. He had a soft spot for boy scouts.

"A nameless friend," Itachi pondered. "Remember to use condoms-"

"I'm not five years old," Sasuke snapped. "And we didn't fuck. If you have to know, I haven't gotten laid in the past seven months," he snarled.

"No wonder you're so irritable," Itachi laughed. "We'll talk later," he said, sounding sorry. "Maybe you won't be hungover then-"

"Maybe," Sasuke agreed, hanging up on his brother. He was welcomed by Naruto's text. Perhaps there was some hope for the moron after all.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beware: lemons  
> this chapter is mostly smut. seriously. you can skip it and you won't miss too much.

Naruto drew a shaky breath as he read the text from Sasuke. The man told him he could come visit him. That was good. Almost too good to be true. It was almost night already, and Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to rest before Monday classes but he needed to see Sasuke as soon as possible. He wouldn't give him time to change his mind.

An hour later he appeared in front of Sasuke's doors. Sai opened him, and that was rather worrying.

"Does he still want to see me?" Naruto questioned, lurking into the corridor. Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

"I guess," Sai replied. "It's nice to see you too. He threw up on me yesterday. You owe me," he whined, leaning on the door frame. Naruto nodded frantically.

"Sorry, it's really nice to see you. Thank you for coming there yesterday-"

"Shush, I know you didn't come to see me," he muttered, moving away to let him come. "He's in his room, either sleeping or barfing. It's pretty much all he did today-"

"Thanks," Naruto whispered. "I'll talk to you later," he promised, running towards Sasuke's room. He knocked on the doors, and walked in after hearing a tired 'come in.' Sasuke was lying on his back with a bad case of bed hair. He didn't move to greet Naruto in any way, so the blonde sat on the computer chair. The blinds were pulled down, and the light was turned off. "It's dark in here," he mumbled out, feeling strangely flustered.

"You're very observant," Sasuke murmured. He didn't sound pissed off, and that was a good sign.

"...you wanted to see me," Naruto said in a hushed voice after a longer while.

"Yes, I know," Sasuke replied. Naruto made a face at him but the brunette just smirked. It seemed that torturing Naruto made him happy. "So you and Hinata are finally over-"

"Yeah," Naruto exclaimed. "I don't think we can be more over than-"

"Shhh," Sasuke whined. "You're being too loud."

"You want me to bring you some pill or something?" Naruto offered. Sasuke shook his head. "All right then. So, me and Hinata are even more done now. There's only you now and she knows it. At least I've done everything I could to make her know that-"

"That sounds stupid," Sasuke chuckled. "But fine. I'm lifting your ban on asking me out," he sighed. "Don't make me regret it," he added.

"I won't," Naruto assured him, and got closer to him. Sasuke sent him a faint smile. "Will you go out with me?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere," the brunette answered, a nasty simper on his face. "At least not today-"

"You're being an ass," Naruto complained.

"Just come here," Sasuke whispered, moving to side and making a place for Naruto. Naruto was more than happy to obey. The bed was pleasantly warm, and so was the body lying next to him. Naruto smiled, gazing at the man. "I look like shit, I know," Sasuke muttered.

"You do," Naruto admitted. Sasuke smelled like soap and sleep. It was a nice, comforting scent. It seemed that the man didn't bother himself with brushing his hair since it was all tangled up. Naruto moved closer, planting a shy, wet kiss on Sasuke's neck. "But I don't mind it," the blonde assured him. "And you look pretty good even when you look like shit so-"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, his hand burying itself into Naruto's hair. "We might go out tomorrow," he offered.

"Is this you asking me out or agreeing to my invitation?" Naruto asked. Sasuke hummed under his nose, probably considering his question.

"You're going to take me somewhere stupid, aren't you?" Sasuke asked in a tired tone. The blonde nodded in excitement. "In that case this is me asking you out," he decided. " _Then_  it will be your turn," he proposed. Naruto couldn't stop grinning. It turned out that Sasuke was interested in more than just one date. That had to be a good sign. He embraced the man's waist, noting the distressed grunt. "Don't touch my stomach," Sasuke whined, swatting Naruto's hand away.

"You have the worst hangovers," Naruto laughed. "Literally the worst," he whispered after Sasuke sent him a death glare, gesturing him to be quieter. "On the other hand, I feel like I need to thank drunk Sasuke-"

"Tell that bastard I hate him," Sasuke sighed.

"Hey, he's the reason we're here," Naruto pointed out. "Like, if he didn't accept that drinking contest, you still wouldn't know we're the same major," he chirped. "And he told me to tell Hinata I'm crushing on you-"

"Yeah, about that. Don't get me wrong, I'm honored and all but what's that about?" Sasuke asked. He seemed amused.

"Oh, that's between me and drunk you," Naruto teased the man, who turned away from him, facing the wall. It was quite convenient that they wouldn't have to fight about their places in bed. Still, even as Sasuke veered on his side, he didn't break his contact with Naruto. His bottom was touching the blonde's side. It was firm and rather flat. The exact opposite of what Naruto had thought he liked. Naruto snickered, seeing the back of Sasuke's head. "Now I see why you insist on dry blowing your hair," he laughed, trying to comb out the tangles trapping his fingers. Sasuke hnned at him. "I like you a lot," Naruto confessed. "Like, you're funny. And smart. And, deep down there, you're really nice. I mean, you care about me, and it makes me feel special-"

"You're embarrassing yourself," Sasuke whispered back. He sounded content. Naruto smiled at him, well aware of the fact that the brunette couldn't see him. "But I like you too," he added. Naruto caressed Sasuke's back in a soothing manner. There was a nasty hickey on the nape of his neck. Probably Orochimaru's doing. Naruto frowned, chasing away the unwanted thoughts. It didn't matter now. Sasuke was with him. Sober. "Are you staying for the night? I've slept throughout the day so we may watch a movie or something," he proposed. Naruto agreed. He was tired as hell but he finally was where he wanted to be.

* * *

 

Sasuke side-eyed the blonde, who was quietly snoring, nuzzled at Sasuke's shoulder. They weren't even thirty minutes into the movie. Sasuke fought the urge to increase the volume, persuading himself that Naruto had the right to fall asleep on him. It was almost 2 am. Theoretically, they would have to wake up in five hours. He embraced his blonde, sniffing his hair. He smelled  _right_. There was a faint scent of cologne and a more prevalent smell of cold autumn day.

Sasuke hoped that Naruto was right when he had said that Hinata wouldn't cause problems anymore. Especially since she had caused more than enough already. He also prayed that Naruto would stop freaking out about not being straight. At least it seemed that he was at peace with himself. And he had told about it to some people. The future started to look brighter.

* * *

 

Sasuke returned to his room, his hair dripping with water. Naruto was lying on his stomach on Sasuke's bed, his ass covered only by a towel. They had to leave in like twenty minutes, and the moron was supposed to put some clothes on. Sasuke frowned. Then the blonde turned his head, cocking one bright eye at him. Sasuke gulped, realizing that the view - however annoying it was - was more than pleasant.

"You wanted me to give you a head on Saturday," Naruto murmured in a husky voice. Sasuke wanted to tell him that it was his drunk babbling but the blonde continued. "And I thought I might give you one but you'd have to promise that, at least for now, the most people will know about our sex life is that it exists-"

"Sure," Sasuke hastily agreed. At this point he would probably agree to anything. Naruto turned on his back, exposing his flat stomach - and there it was, that fucking line of golden hair, disappearing somewhere under the towel - and the towel was  _tented_. Sasuke swallowed, hoping that his face didn't betray him. The blonde showed him a mischievous grin, sitting on the bed, and gesturing him to come closer. Sasuke obeyed, his arms shaking in emotion. He wasn't annoyed anymore. He was ready to skip the whole day of classes if it meant that he would finally get to touch Naruto the way he had wanted to touch him almost ever since he met him. Naruto unwrapped the towel with trembling hands, licking his lips. He seemed nervous. Sasuke wasn't certain whether it was a usual nervousness or not. "Are you sure about it?" he asked, praying for the answer to be positive.

"Yeah, I'm just afraid I'll suck-"

"I hope you'll suck," Sasuke chuckled. Naruto rolled his eyes, staring at Sasuke's cock as if it was the first one he had ever seen. Sasuke was quite surprised that Naruto was the one to service him first. He had anticipated that it would be him sucking Naruto off. Still, he wasn't going to complain.

The blonde parted his lips, evidently unsure about what he should do next. One would think that he had never gotten a blowjob himself. Sasuke grasped his already hard dick, and started to stroke himself, hoping that it would familiarize Naruto with the view. The blonde frowned, visibly unhappy, so Sasuke stopped, resting his hand on the man's head. His hair was still damp.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Sasuke whispered in a mocking tone.

"Shut up," Naruto complained. "I'll bite your dick off if you'll continue to talk shit," he threatened. Sasuke's length throbbed at the words. It didn't escape Naruto's attention.  _Great_. "Oh my god, you  _like_  it," he snorted.

At least it eased off the atmosphere. The blonde grabbed his ass, pulling him closer. His moist lips finally embraced the head of Sasuke's dick. His moves were awkward and sloppy, his touches too feeble. At least the sight was amazing. Sasuke groaned, observing his shaft disappear in the crevice of Naruto's hot mouth. The blue eyes were staring right at him, boring into his soul.

"This is my worst blowjob," Sasuke panted. Naruto dug his nails into his butt cheeks, and  _growled_  while Sasuke's dick was still inside of his mouth. That was breathtaking. Hot air resonated around Sasuke's length, making it tremble.

"Tutor me then," the blonde said. "I didn't know you were both a linguist and a master cocksucker but, on the other hand, you need tongue for both," he teased. Sasuke's knees almost bent underneath him, and if it wasn't for Naruto holding his ass, he would had fallen. Naruto's moves were terrible but he somehow managed it to look goddamn amazing. Right now he was licking the tip of Sasuke's dick like a lollipop. It felt stupid, almost annoying, but at the same time, it was beyond hot. "If it's your worst then why do you look as if you were about to come?" the blonde questioned. "You've never lasted longer than a minute?"

"Shut it," Sasuke moaned, grabbing Naruto's head with both hands, and thrusting into his mouth to shut him up. He expected the man to gag but he  _didn't_. "Where's your gag reflex?" he mused. Naruto somehow managed to shoot him a mocking stare. He shouldn't be able to do that when his mouth was full of cock. "I'm going to fuck your stupid face," Sasuke whispered, ramming his dick down Naruto's throat. The blonde sucked at sucking but his mouth was incredible. And he was  _moaning_  while Sasuke skull-fucked him. "You're going to have my cum oozing from your nose," Sasuke panted.

"That would be  _great_  but you never fucking deliver," Naruto whispered after freeing his mouth. His chin was covered in precum and saliva. "I'm certain that best you can manage is a tiny little trickle I won't even notice," he rasped. Sasuke groaned, trying to jab his cock where it belonged. Naruto evaded it, and spat on it. A rope of saliva hang on it, swaying with every motion. "And maybe I would have a gag reflex if your cock was bigger," he taunted.

"That was low," Sasuke chuckled, entering Naruto's lips. Glassy blue eyes didn't seem too bothered by his theoretical self esteem issues. Sasuke's dick was swollen with blood, and Sasuke knew he would come soon. He pushed his cock further into Naruto's face, to the point where his balls rested on the blonde's chin. This time he gagged. "You like that?" Sasuke questioned, backing off. Naruto's hands stopped him, and pulled him closer. The gag reflex was gone  _again_. If it wasn't so fascinating, it would be annoying as hell. "You  _like_  that," Sasuke whispered. He felt himself coming close to the edge, and he used all of his willpower to hold out a little longer. "You're one little cockslut," he moaned. His groin was pulsating, and his limbs started to go numb. If it wasn't for the blonde's strong arms, he would had fallen under his own weight. He wasn't even able to thrust as steadily as he used to, the rhythm changed into a raggedy one. "I'm about to come," he whispered, ready to back off and stroke himself to his climax. Naruto didn't let him, keeping him close. "Fuck," Sasuke cursed, fisting his hands into Naruto's hair as he erupted inside the hot mouth. He was spent. His thighs trembled, and he was more than grateful that the blonde decided to pull him towards the bed. He was already covered in sweat. And there was no way in hell that he would consider going to any classes now. He was staying with Naruto in his bed. It was already decided.

"There's no cum in my nose," the blonde said after a longer while of pleasant silence. Sasuke grunted at that, tilting his head so he could stare at his lover, who was lying next to him, his head near Sasuke's groin, his arms wrapped around Sasuke's legs.

"Fuck you," the brunette whispered, pulling him closer, and kissing him, tasting himself on Naruto's tongue. The blonde was hard. Sasuke could feel his length pulsating. The towel disappeared  _somewhere_. Sasuke didn't care what happened to it. He caressed Naruto's side, his hand lingering on his hip and love handle.

"I've told you you don't deliver," Naruto snorted. Sasuke gently slapped his cock, and raised himself on his elbows, ready to return the favor. "You're like half dead now," Naruto stated, stopping him from moving. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. Perhaps he  _was_  half dead but that didn't mean he couldn't give the moron the best blowjob of his life.

"I'll manage," he hissed.

"Later," the blonde decided, embracing him. "If this one was the worst then I'm afraid to ask how you look after you receive a good one-"

"It was good, all right," Sasuke replied. "But you still suck. Use more force-"

"I'm not a Jedi," Naruto laughed. "Use force to suck cocks, you must-"

"Unbelievable," Sasuke snorted. "For a short moment here I thought you were hot but then you say something like  _this_ ," he whispered.

" _This_  is why you've agreed to date me," Naruto reminded him. Sasuke couldn't stop his lips from curling upwards.

"We're not going anywhere," he informed Naruto, who nodded in agreement. The blonde's erection was slowly dying down. "If you'll wait for me, we may go all the way later," Sasuke offered. Naruto sent him a mischievous look, and Sasuke wanted to protest, seeing that the man was about to say something stupid.

"Into the garbage chute, flyboy," he exclaimed. Sasuke glared daggers at him but that didn't stop the moron from bursting out laughing.

"No more Star Wars references," Sasuke pleaded. Naruto was enjoying himself way too much, his eyes teary from laughing. "I'm being serious here," Sasuke muttered. "And if you'll refer to my ass as the garbage chute  _again_ , you can forget about sex," he threatened.

"Yes, Ma'm," Naruto teased. Sasuke scoffed at him. He would probably be angrier if he wasn't so relieved. The blonde had sucked him off, and he wasn't freaking out. That was way more than he was hoping for.

* * *

 

Sasuke leaned over Naruto, who had his face covered with a hand. He felt like laughing but it seemed pretty inappropriate in such a delicate situation. He could feel the blonde's dick becoming softer inside of him, and he wanted to say something comforting but he was certain that he would giggle - fucking  _giggle_  - if he dared to open his mouth. So he stayed where he was, staring at his lover, who managed to last a whole minute. Well, at least Sasuke didn't have to worry about not being attractive to the moron.

"I'm not going to bullshit you and say that it's never happened before," Naruto mumbled out. He removed his hand from his face, and Sasuke noticed with relief that he didn't seem upset. "And normally you wouldn't even notice me coming because I know better than to just stop but this is our first time, and everything is pretty awkward," he chuckled. Sasuke laughed back as Naruto grabbed his hips and gave them a gentle squeeze. "You're clenching your butthole when you're laughing," the blonde snorted. "Anyways, let's get this over with. I've screwed up, I should've jerked off before," he stated. "And now I can either get you off or you'll wait ten minutes, and I'll get it up for you again. And this time you'll beg me to stop-"

"I don't think you should be bragging after this performance," Sasuke mused. Naruto playfully slapped one of his butt cheeks, and grinned at him. It didn't seem as if he lost his confidence, and that definitely was a good thing.

"I never go back on my words," the blonde said. It sounded way too pompous for such a trivial matter, so Sasuke laughed again, doubling over Naruto, and placing his head on the tanned shoulder. The blonde's dick fell out from him. "Now I feel challenged," Naruto complained. "Please, don't say that you just want me to get you off, now I need to prove myself to you," he whispered, combing through Sasuke's hair.

"Be my guest," Sasuke decided, his voice amused.

Naruto rolled them, so Sasuke ended up lying on his back with the blonde between his legs. He didn't really like that position but he wasn't going to whine about it now. According to Naruto, they were up for a short interval. It didn't bother him too much, nevertheless, he had to admit that the mood was now completely changed. He snorted and tried to push away Naruto, who had just kissed his neck.

"You've liked that a  _minute_  ago," the blonde pointed out. "I didn't know you were this ticklish," he mused, planting more kisses on Sasuke's oversensitive skin.

"Just stop for a moment," Sasuke pleaded, trying to catch his breath. Naruto sent him a mischievous look, nearing his lips towards Sasuke's shoulder. Then he just rested his head there, not going through with his threat.

"It's a mess, isn't it?" he questioned. Sasuke shifted underneath him to free his shaft from between their stomachs.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having fun," he replied. Naruto poked his cheek, sending him a warm smile. Then he raised his upper body, and moved in between his legs, nipping on his thigh. Sasuke gasped in surprise as the blonde took him in his hot, moist mouth. He glanced at him, observing the golden mop of hair bobbing up and down. Bronze fingers were digging into his sides, leaving faint red marks. "You've gotten slightly better at blowjobs," he praised the man. The tip of Naruto's tongue slid into the slit of Sasuke's cock, and Sasuke found himself grasping the sheet. "I see that you're trying to give me a handicap for round two," he chuckled. The blonde snorted, his breath brushing Sasuke's balls.

"I don't need to give you a handicap," he said. "I'm just trying to keep you entertained-"

"Try juggling," Sasuke suggested, hoping to distract himself. It wasn't easy, and Naruto made it even harder when he started to finger him. Sasuke arched his back, realizing that he should had jacked off as well. It seemed that he wasn't too far from the edge. But now, after having made fun of Naruto, cumming was not an option. "Are you already hard?" he asked, praying that the answer would be positive. Because if it was, then he would straddle the blonde again and ride him to his orgasm, making sure that he wouldn't have to beg for anything. " _Fuck_ ," he cursed as Naruto began to suck him off. He got better. So much better. Sasuke was already missing his awkward moves. He had no idea why the moron had to be such a quick learner but he realized that he would need to step up his own game.

Because now it seemed that Naruto excelled in multitasking. As if there were three of him. No one person could simultaneously give someone a head, play with their balls and finger them. And do each of these at least moderately good. That was impossible, it should be impossible. Sasuke suppressed a moan that threatened to escape his lips as the blonde deep-throated him. He started to wonder where was the man's gag reflex again. He had to have one. His ponderings were cut short when Naruto located his prostate. This time there was nothing he could do about the loud pleasured groan.

"This is a serious handicap," Sasuke whined.

"Hey, I can always wait for you-"

"That's not going to happen," Sasuke informed him. He was well aware of his limits. It wouldn't be ten minutes of waiting, it would be at least a few hours. He doubted that Naruto would be willing to wait this long.

He almost sighed in relief when Naruto removed the finger, and positioned himself between his legs. Sasuke felt his hips being lifted, and stopped the blonde mid-motion.

"I don't do missionary," he protested. His lover smiled at him in a teasing manner, and lay next to him, gesturing him to straddle him again. Sasuke drew a shaky breath. Now he was in control. Perhaps he wouldn't screw up. He grabbed Naruto's dick and pointed it towards his entrance.

"Condoms," Naruto reminded him. Sasuke left the man's length to poke his ass, and leaned to the bed stand, grabbing a safe. Naruto took it from his hands, and quickly put it on, coating his dick with lube. Sasuke was thankful for this intermission. Thanks to it, his heart returned to its normal rhythm.

He exhaled through his nose, and repeated the procedure, savoring the sensations. He liked feeling filled. And now, thanks to prolonged foreplay, he was more slick than usual. Sasuke impaled himself on the blonde's dick completely, stopping for a moment to catch a breath. Naruto didn't let him, grabbing his hips, and motioning him to move up.

"Not so fast," he whispered. He didn't want to finish yet. It appeared that Naruto had different plans - Sasuke gasped as the man grasped his dick, stroking it, and rubbing small circles on its head, smearing the precum and Naruto's saliva all over it.

"We can work on our timing some other time," Naruto offered, a smug smirk on his face. "Go wild."

Sasuke snorted at that, quickening his moves. The blonde let go of his shaft, quietly moaning as Sasuke was riding him. It felt good. It wasn't perfect in technical sense but it definitely  _felt_  perfect. He leaned backwards, to aim for his own prostate. He welcomed Naruto's hands, which helped him to keep up the insane rhythm.

Sasuke had been worried that the blonde would freak out during his first gay sex but he didn't. He was somewhat lost but he was making up for it with enthusiasm. And that was much more than Sasuke was hoping for.

Sasuke's thighs trembled as he lifted himself one more time, noting his nearing climax. His scrotum tightened, and heat pooled in his loins; his dick throbbed in anticipation, and when Naruto pulled him down again, his shaft hitting Sasuke's prostate, he felt himself erupt, spilling his seed over the tanned chest.

"You've got quite an aim," Naruto laughed. He was panting as if he had just finished a marathon. Sasuke could feel the man's dick twitch inside of him. He opened his eyes to see the blonde's face covered in semen. It hit one of his eyes, so he kept it closed. Sasuke leaned over him, and licked the sperm off, what made Naruto laugh again. The blonde pulled him in for a sloppy kiss. They both had to taste like Sasuke's cum.

"So, it's a tie," Sasuke said, plopping next to him. He poked Naruto's erection, getting an amused look from him.

"I can still keep going," his lover protested. "See, it's either too quick or too long. There's no in between," he complained.

"I would've gotten you off but right now we're even, and I don't want you to owe me," Sasuke murmured.

"That's so  _thoughtful_ ," Naruto snorted, combing through his hair with fingers. "Really, you're being too kind. And it's nice to know that we're not counting that blowjob."

"I know," Sasuke agreed, ignoring the obvious sarcasm. He fought the urge to yawn. Probably having sex this early wasn't the best idea he had ever had. It didn't really matter though. He was pleasantly tired, and his body felt limp and relaxed. He should had gotten laid ages ago. "I could give you a handjob but you would have to come rather quickly-"

"And here I was, hoping that the days of tired wrists were behind me," Naruto whispered. Sasuke could almost hear his smile.

"My wrists are in perfect shape, I just want to sleep," Sasuke clarified. His ass felt sticky. He should probably take a shower but that seemed like way too much work. Especially getting up from bed was undesirable.

"Well, since you're putting it that way," Naruto mused, tracing a line along Sasuke's spine. "Let's just go to sleep," he suggested. Sasuke huffed in annoyance, and forced the blonde to turn on his side, so he would be lying with his back turned to him. Then he embraced him, grabbing his hard shaft, and stroking it - first slowly, and then, gradually, faster and faster. Naruto's breath became ragged and erratic, and his dick was pulsating in Sasuke's hand. The brunette smiled knowingly, noticing the signs of incoming climax. Soon enough, Naruto groaned loudly, covering Sasuke's hand in thick cum.

"See, my wrists are fine. And now you owe me one orgasm," Sasuke whispered, wiping his hand into Naruto's hard stomach. His partner's body was almost too hot. And it was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Still, being able to embrace Naruto like that was nice. He wouldn't had expected that they would snuggle after sex even in his wildest dreams.

"We should definitely work on our timing," the blonde said. He sounded peaceful.

"It's sex, not synchronized swimming," Sasuke pointed out, drawling out the last word. His eyelids were way too heavy to keep them up. "Nobody's going to give us a ten for a simultaneous orgasm. Or eliminate us for a lack of thereof. You can do whatever you want but I'm not going to stress myself over when I should or shouldn't come," he yawned. "Stop worrying about it. It felt good, I had fun, and I want to repeat it. That's all that should matter."

"It's very telling that you're not worried about yourself," Naruto said in a teasing tone. Sasuke glanced at the man, and sent him a lazy smile.

"You're covered in semen, and yet you're lying here with me, so I'm guessing that it felt good enough for you to not be bothered by it. You're smiling, and you were laughing while we were having sex, so I think that it was pretty fun. You're saying that we need to work on our timing, so I'm assuming that you want to repeat it," Sasuke replied. "See, I know everything I need to know," he whispered. The man tensed in his arms. Sasuke breathed in his smell, mixed in with a scent of sex. It felt right. Being with Naruto felt right. Even if they weren't exactly a couple. "Are we kind of exclusive?" he asked, echoing Naruto's words.

"We are," the blonde assured him. Sasuke nodded.

They weren't together but, whatever it was that they had, they were more than fuck buddies. It was good enough for now. Pushing for more wasn't even something that Sasuke actually wanted. After all, Naruto had just ended one relationship. And they barely knew one another. Sasuke definitely didn't feel like introducing Naruto to Itachi and his aunt just now.

"Good," he replied in a sleepy tone, pulling Naruto closer. The blonde didn't seem as tired as he was, and that was slightly annoying. Still, it wasn't something Sasuke wanted to bother himself with at that particular moment. At least his hips didn't hurt him as much as they usually did.

"I didn't expect you to be this cuddly," Naruto murmured. Sasuke shivered as the cold fabric of his comforter touched his hot skin. Now he would need to wash it as well. He refrained himself from sighing, and buried his nose in golden locks.

"Yeah, you should probably keep it a secret. It would ruin my image," he whispered, humoring his lover.

"I've been covered in almost all of your bodily fluids," the blonde pointed out. "By the way, you've managed to do that in less than two months, and I'm kind of impressed. But, coming back to the main topic - cuddling with me isn't the most image-ruining thing you've ever done," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke scoffed at that remark, biting the nape of the man's neck.

"Get used to it," he replied, suppressing a long yawn. He was right where he wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's still mature and not explicit, right?  
> tbh i have no idea  
> i think i kept it mature  
> like  
> it's not too graphic  
> dunno


	17. Chapter 17

"So, which one of you is the cocksucker and which is the cockslut?" Sai chirped, sipping on his coffee. Naruto was certain that his face was red at this point. So Sai heard them. There was probably nothing worse than this. They could had as well recorded everything and uploaded it into the internet.

"Not your business," Sasuke replied, seemingly unfazed by the comment. Naruto panicked. It appeared that Sasuke noticed it because he frowned, and patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Chill out, he's not going to tell anyone," he muttered. "Don't you have anything better to do than listening to others having fun?" Sasuke asked Sai, simultaneously rummaging through the fridge. Naruto and he finally left the room to eat something. It seemed that their alone time wasn't so... alone.

"You have  _no_  idea how thin the walls are," Sai whispered. He looked too happy to Naruto's liking. "You're both quite talkative. It's  _adorable_ -"

"Oh, shut up," Sasuke whined. "I'm starting to feel sorry for you. Whom are you going to bother after I'll move out?"

"I'm sure we'll stay in touch," Sai replied. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke didn't disagree. "You're walking funny," Sai mused. Sasuke turned his head to glare at him. It didn't seem as if it impressed the other man. "Don't worry, bro, everything's going to stay in the family-"

"We're not related," Sasuke retorted.

"That reminds me," Sai exclaimed. "Naruto, what about that modeling? I might forget about the cab if you were to agree," he offered. The blonde tilted his head, staring at the painting hanging next to the kitchen table. It wasn't  _this_  bad. It looked ridiculous but, technically, it was all right, he supposed.

"The cab's on Sasuke but I'm still in for the modeling," he replied. Sasuke glared at him as if he had been betrayed. Sai, on the other hand, looked beyond happy.

"You could've helped me, and you didn't," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head in mocked disappointment. "I'm still not paying for that cab though. I wasn't the one, who put me in there-"

"Yeah but you're the one who  _barfed_  in there," Naruto pointed out. "Take some responsibility for your actions," he lectured.

He was slowly starting to feel comfortable around Sai. The man was obnoxious but not judgmental. It wasn't the best mix there was but it was fine. He wished Sasuke could stay there longer. He wasn't the easiest person to be around, and Naruto was afraid that the brunette's next flatmate might end up like Neji. He wondered if 'would I be able to take that guy in one on one' was one of the criteria Sasuke took into consideration when he was looking for a place to stay. He probably wouldn't admit to doing it either way.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Then he sighed, rubbing his face. "Whatever, fine," he relented. Naruto grinned at him. The man was much more peaceful now. It seemed that he needed the release. Naruto was more than glad that he was the one to deliver it. The sex felt pretty much amazing. Sloppy but amazing. He didn't recall feeling this comfortable with anyone else. It probably wasn't even possible. "I don't know what you're usually eating," Sasuke complained.

"You were supposed to take me out today," Naruto reminded him. He considered going to the restaurant Hinata had shown him but eventually shuddered at the idea. He probably wouldn't feel like eating ramen for quite some time. Sasuke sighed, and threw him an apple. He bit into one himself, wiping the juice dripping down his chin with some random cloth. "But you really  _are_  walking funny," Naruto snorted.

"Why don't you try to bottom yourself?" Sasuke growled at him. Naruto gawked at him, uncertain what the man was talking about. Then it clicked. Sai glanced at both of them, visibly amused. They probably shouldn't have that conversation while he was present. On the other hand, going back into the room wouldn't really help.

"I might," Naruto grunted. Sasuke blinked in surprise, and the blonde smirked at him.

"No," Sasuke protested. It was Naruto's turn to be surprised. He thought that Sasuke had some issues with being penetrated, and that it was the reason why he didn't want to do missionary - probably believing that having his movement obstructed this much was unattainable but now Naruto wasn't so certain anymore.

"It's not for you to decide," the blonde whined, forgetting about Sai.

"It is," Sasuke deadpanned. "You won't like it," he stated.

"You just don't want us to switch," Naruto realized. "What, are you afraid you'll shoot the moment you put it in me?" he taunted. Sasuke hunched his shoulders, turning his head and side-eying Naruto. He was pissed off again. The blonde hummed under his nose, trying to understand what was going on. "Sorry," he mumbled out just in case. He wasn't certain what he was apologizing for but he didn't want to fight with Sasuke. The man breathed in as if to calm himself down.

"We will talk about this later," he decided. Naruto nodded, refraining himself from walking up to him and hugging him. He had no idea how affectionate Sasuke wanted to be with other people present but he remembered him saying that he wasn't exactly lovey dovey with his previous partners. Holding hands and comforting him in public was probably off limits. On the other hand, when they were still friends, he hadn't been minding random touches.

Naruto bit the apple he had been given, coming up with a plan for the future. There were lots of things he and Sasuke should discuss. Like the status of their relationship, Sasuke's past - Naruto preferred to know what would be the worst thing that could happen if Hinata decided to revenge herself, and Naruto and Sasuke's sex life since it was clear that they had some issues. To Naruto's surprise, it seemed that Sasuke had more issues than he did.

* * *

 

Naruto followed Sasuke. It was almost evening already, and he could swear he would had died of starvation if they waited any longer.

"You don't get to talk to me like that," Sasuke growled at him out of the blue. Naruto gawked at him. He didn't say anything. "I'm talking about earlier," Sasuke clarified. "It's one thing when you have my cock in your mouth but-"

"Sorry," Naruto exclaimed, running up to him. Now he knew what was  _that_  all about. And he had to agree with Sasuke. He had been acting like a total jackass. "It won't happen again," he promised. Sasuke glared at him for a while but his expression was gradually softening.

"It better not," he sighed, reaching out with his hand to the blonde. Naruto was more than happy to grab it. It seemed that Sasuke wasn't against PDAs. That was a good thing - although Naruto had to admit to himself that he would have to get used to it. Used to walking hand in hand with a man. He hung his head, getting closer to Sasuke. "We don't have to do it," the man muttered.

The blonde shook his head, showing off his teeth in a grin. That wasn't really an option. He was well aware of how important the physical aspect of their relationship was to Sasuke. The man made himself perfectly clear before. "Everything's fine," he assured Sasuke. "Where are you taking me?"

"I don't know, I thought you were hungry," Sasuke mumbled out. "I just didn't want to go anywhere stupid-"

"This is like the worst date ever," Naruto snickered.

"Sorry for not scavenging the city for spots you might like beforehand," Sasuke snarled. "I should've asked Hinata for advice-"

"Or you might take me somewhere  _you_  like," the blonde suggested. He decided against talking about Hinata. It would probably ruin the mood. "Like, I don't know, you're always complaining that Yahiko's beer tastes like horse piss - and I don't want to know  _how_  you know that - so you could take me to your favorite pub-"

"Yeah, I'm not in the mood for drinking today," Sasuke replied. "And my favorite in this city would be the one serving the horse piss so that's pretty counterproductive," he admitted, heaving a heavy sigh.

"I've heard they have a hot bartender," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, squeezing his hand tighter. "All right. It's too late and too cold to stay outside," he pondered. "And movies are great when you don't want to talk to the other person-"

"Movies it is," Sasuke decided, pulling laughing Naruto towards the mall. He stopped after a few steps, looking deflated. "Fine, I have no idea where to go," he confessed in a strained tone. "I just wanted to get away from Sai," he sighed.

"I'd say you've succeeded," Naruto replied. "We could always be obnoxious movie goers," he proposed. "Or we may go to some restaurant, like, that's pretty generic and whatnot-"

"I'm sure I can do better than generic," Sasuke muttered. "There is one place I like but it's outside so I guess-"

"We can go there," Naruto interrupted the brunette. "Let's just get some takeout, I mean, I'm  _starving_ -"

"Fine," Sasuke agreed, not looking too happy about it.

* * *

 

"It's just a beach," Naruto mumbled out in a tone of disbelief. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, sipping on his coffee. Well, it was just a beach. Naruto was sitting next to him on a bench, his arm wrapped around Sasuke's. Sasuke had no idea whether he did that to keep himself warm or if he actually felt like embracing him but he didn't want to bother himself with it. It felt nice. Strong, cold wind was hitting their faces, blowing sand into their eyes and hair. "Neji lives nearby," the blonde added. "We might go visit him. Like, I bet he would be surprised to see us together-"

"He's said that you and me wasn't going to happen," Sasuke snorted. At that time he believed it to be true. "And yet here we are," he mused, straightening his legs. The blonde was currently wolfing his third serving of noodles. Sasuke had no idea how he managed to eat this much and still stay in shape.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, staring at the waves. Sasuke's eyes followed the blue ones. It was a soothing view. "So you live with your aunt," Naruto started, awkwardly playing with his feet. Sasuke sighed mentally.

"No, I live with Sai," he stated. He hoped that the moron would get the hint and drop the topic. He didn't.

"Well, yeah, but you know what I mean. Is she nice?" he questioned.

"She is," Sasuke admitted. He knew that they would have to have this conversation eventually but holding it off seemed like a great plan.

"That's great," Naruto exclaimed. "My adoptive dad, Iruka, is also super nice. I have no idea where I would be without him. I used to be quite troublesome in the past," he babbled. Sasuke was well aware of what the moron tried to gain. At least now he knew who should be blamed for his lack of assertiveness. He wasn't going to say that out loud, though. It would be cruel and unnecessary. "But then he took me in, and here I am. He's going to freak out when he'll learn about you. Like, seriously freak out. Not in the super bad way but still, it's going to be quite a shock to him-"

"He'll live," Sasuke replied. "Stop worrying so much-"

"How did your aunt react?"

There it was. There always had to be some questions. At first really innocent ones but it was always just a way to get to the juicy ones. Sasuke sighed. He knew Naruto didn't wish him bad, and he couldn't really blame him for asking, especially after getting his information from Hinata but, still, it was rather unwanted.

"We could talk about something else," Naruto offered after a while of uncomfortable silence. "How did you meet Suigetsu?"

"He was studying with me, I've already told you," Sasuke pointed out. "Just ask what you really want to ask-"

"I would be lying if I've said I didn't want you to open up more but I can see you don't like it," Naruto whispered. "And I know you've studied with him but there has to be more to the story-"

"There isn't," Sasuke hissed. "We were studying together, we were in the same group project, and I've reckoned that he and Juugo were pretty all right," he snapped. "My parents died in a fire, I was away, my brother managed to save only himself, the cause of fire was unattended fireplace," he continued in a strained tone. "And that was Itachi's fault," he added. Naruto gazed at him with wide opened eyes. "And you have  _no_  idea how long I've hated him for that. But I've never raised my hand at him because he was my only family, and," his voice was getting shaky so he cleared his throat, "and that would be pretty much it. Oh, and I can't really get in any more fights because I'd probably end up with a sentence. Are you happy now?" he inquired in a low tone. Naruto shook his head, looking absolutely terrified. "Be careful what you wish for," Sasuke sneered. "At least I've let you skip all the boring questions-" Naruto tried to embrace him, and Sasuke swatted his arms away. "Don't do that, I don't need this bullshit-"

"There's nothing wrong about needing this," the blonde mumbled out. "I'm sorry for what happened, and I'm sorry for asking any questions, I didn't know you'd feel this pressured-"

"I didn't feel  _pressured_ ," Sasuke growled.

"You didn't want to tell me this either," the blonde barked at him. Then he shook his head, rubbing his temples. "Just... Sorry for starting this topic. I  _knew_  it was a touchy one-"

"I'm not made of fucking glass, I can take it," Sasuke hissed. At this point he didn't even know what he was angry about. And whom he was angry at.

"Of course you can," Naruto assured him. He sounded way too patronizing for Sasuke's liking. "I've never said you couldn't but-"

"I'm not some fucking wimp," Sasuke muttered.

"Yes, you're not-"

"Stop fucking agreeing with everything I say," Sasuke yelled. He could feel his throat tightening. That couldn't be a good sign. "It's a terrible date," he mused, resting his head on his hands. He noted in terror that his fingers were getting wet. He refrained himself from rubbing his eyes, knowing that it would just make them red and puffy. It really was a disaster.

"Yes, I know," the blonde whispered in an apologetic tone. One of his hands landed on Sasuke's back, and he was trying to pull him in for a hug. "Shit, I'm sorry, okay? I should've known it would end up like this-"

"Really? You fucking expected me to start crying for no reason whatsoever?" Sasuke cackled. "I must look like a goddamn wuss-"

"You don't," the blonde whispered. "And I think that you do have a reason to be sad," he added.

"I'm not sad," Sasuke protested. His voice was betraying him. He hated his throat, it shouldn't squeeze his words like that, making them incomprehensible. Naruto hugged him, letting him hide his face. At first Sasuke didn't want to accept his arms but they did make him feel better. A loud sob threatened to escape his lips. He was no better than Hinata now. A pathetic mess.

"And I understand why you'd be angry," Naruto stated in a hushed voice. At least the location was pretty much desolated. "And, Sasuke, I don't think that the questions I  _wanted_  to ask were boring, I do want to know more about you-"

" _Right_ ," the brunette whispered back.

"I mean it," Naruto grunted, rubbing Sasuke's arm through a jacket. "How did your aunt react to you being gay?"

"She didn't care," Sasuke answered after a longer while. "In the good sense of that phrase," he clarified. "My brother probably knew before I did," he added. His voice was slowly returning back to normal. "I think he feels guilty," he said quietly.

"He probably does," Naruto agreed. They stayed silent for the next twenty minutes. It was a much needed break. It allowed Sasuke to return to his senses. He wiped his face with his hand, and straightened his back. He was grateful that the blonde didn't stare at him. He was flustered enough even without the moron feeling sorry for him. "It's nice in here," Naruto murmured. Sasuke gazed at the waves crushing on the shore.

"I guess," he replied. "I used to come jogging here when I was still living with Neji," he said. "Others prefer the nearby park so it's not too crowded."

"I bet I could outrun you," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke sighed, allowing a faint smile to appear on his face.

"First of all," he started, getting up and stretching. The blonde grinned at him as he tipped his body forward, doing a perfect handstand. The grin faded when he did a push up. "And second of all, I'm sure I'm faster-"

"Maybe you  _are_  faster," Naruto admitted, standing up and gently pushing Sasuke to make him fall on the sand. "But you're still walking funny so I don't think you have a chance against me today," he chuckled, lying next to the brunette. "Besides, I'm more than certain that I would be able to run a longer distance-"

"Race me then," Sasuke suggested. "But maybe not today," he decided. Naruto turned his head at him, sand getting into his hair.

"Why don't you want me to bottom?" he questioned. "Like, do you even like it?"

"Yeah, I like it," Sasuke sighed. There was no end to the annoying questions. "If you really want to see how it is, we may switch once," he offered. He had no idea when was the last time he topped but he was quite certain he would be good enough for Naruto.

"Why only once?" the blonde complained. Sasuke rubbed his temples. He didn't want Naruto to bottom. The man would probably freak out - he had believed himself to be straight less than a month ago. Besides, what was an even bigger issue, Sasuke absolutely hated topping. He knew he was selfish in bed, and he didn't see any reason to change that. "And why don't you do missionary?"

"What is it with you and all these questions?" Sasuke asked, feeling slightly annoyed. "I just don't like missionary. End of the story."

"Well, yeah, you don't like it but why? Like, you don't like not being able to move or you don't want my face this close, or it makes you feel like a girl-" Naruto babbled. Sasuke covered the man's mouth with his hand, stopping him from talking.

"I just think you'd suck at it," he grunted. The blonde scoffed at the remark. "You were telling me about your adoptive dad," he reminded Naruto, deciding that any topic was better than this one. "You're not related?"

"No, we are not," the blonde replied. "I don't think I have any living relatives. Iruka is still pretty cool, though. But I guess you'd call him a wimp, like, he cries when he sees a sad commercial on TV," Naruto said in an accusing tone. "And don't get me started on that movie about the dog, which dies at the end," he chuckled. "He was sobbing for  _days_ ," he snorted. "I didn't like that movie, though. Like, honestly, I shouldn't identify with a goddamn  _dog_ -"

"You're not the dog," Sasuke agreed. "And you're probably the only person in the whole wide world, who would even think about identifying with the dog," he sighed. "The movie wasn't  _this_  bad," he added. "It was somewhat cheap-"

"You've actually seen it," Naruto laughed. "Well, Iruka loved it so don't badmouth it in front of him out he'll make you watch it again," he lectured. "Seriously. I already know it by heart. And he's still surprised that the dog dies. I don't know if he expects the ending to magically change at one point but it still didn't. I actually started to like that part, and it makes me feel terrible about myself. Iruka even wanted to  _adopt_  a dog but, luckily, he realized that he doesn't have time for it-"

"I won't say that the movie is shit," Sasuke promised. He didn't know whether he would even have an occasion to do that but he decided to humor Naruto. "We're not going to visit Neji today," he said. His face was all stingy, and he was certain that it had to look awful. Naruto nodded in agreement, smiling at Sasuke.

"But seriously, though, don't say anything mean about Iruka or I'll have to fight you," the blonde mumbled out. "Generally, don't be mean to him-"

"I  _know_  how to behave," Sasuke growled. "Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't raised by wild beasts," he grunted. "My parents-" he stopped mid-sentence, clearing his throat. He wasn't certain whether he wanted to talk about his family with Naruto. "I know an Uzumaki," he said instead. "I could get you two in touch, maybe you  _are_  related-"

"Yeah, I'm not going to raise my hopes up," Naruto blurted out. "And I know that you know how to behave. But you do have your moods," he added. "Like, everything's fine and then it suddenly  _isn't_. It's quite difficult to keep up with you," he mused. "I mean, like, you're messed up, okay? But there's nothing wrong about it, like, I'm messed up as well," he stated carefully. "And, like, I know that we have this rivalry thing going but we don't have to compete in every single sphere of life. Like, you know, I think you're incredibly strong, and I'm not going to think less of you if you were to be sad," he grunted. "Being sad is normal. And so is crying-"

"Shut it," Sasuke demanded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, hear me out," Naruto protested. "There's nothing wrong about being sad or angry, like, you don't have to bottle everything up, I mean, I'm here for you, and I'm certain I'm not the only one, so, like, you know, you can  _talk_ -"

"Socrates was giving out unwanted advice," Sasuke grunted. "You know how he ended up, right?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I don't think this is how it went like," the blonde laughed. "Besides, you wouldn't poison me, like, that would be insane," he snorted. "And I wouldn't just drink it, I'm not stupid," he said. His normally blue eyes looked gray. Sasuke wondered whether it was because of the dimmed light. He had tiny wrinkles in the outer corners of his eyes, a sign that he smiled a lot. "Seriously, Sasuke, I'm here for you. And I know that you don't need it but, you know, it's nothing bad if you do, like, everyone can have a worse day-"

"Would you shut up already?" Sasuke whined. "I'm perfectly fine," he muttered. "And I'm not messed up-"

"Yeah,  _right_ ," the blonde snorted. "Me neither," he sighed. He rolled on his side, placing his head on Sasuke's chest. Sand fell from his hair, getting into Sasuke's eyes and mouth. He spat it out, getting absurdly agitated.

"I mean it," he grunted.

"I know you do," the blonde replied quietly. "But if you were to change your mind, I'm still here," he offered. "Tomorrow's the big day, like, everyone will learn about you and me," he stated.

"So what?" Sasuke questioned. "You want me to be less gay or what?"

"No, nothing like that," Naruto assured him. "But, like, what's your opinion on PDAs? You like it? You don't like it?"

"I don't mind it," Sasuke answered. "But I don't want you to be glued to me all day long," he added. "That would be annoying as fuck," he mused. "I doubt people will be this interested anyways, so you can relax-"

"Easy for you to say," the blonde chuckled. "I'm still going to be freaking out all day long. Or all week long. Or all-"

"You've made yourself clear," Sasuke snorted. Their date turned out a little tiny bit less terrible in the end.

* * *

 

Naruto breathed in, trying to calm his racing heart. He had no idea whether Sasuke would be waiting for him in front of the department building or not, and he didn't know what he should do it he was. Somehow, he didn't feel like playing out a huge reunion scene, after all, they didn't see each other for just a couple of hours. On the other hand, Sasuke clearly had some issues, and Naruto didn't want to upset him more by being uncomfortable. And that made him feel even more uncomfortable. There probably wasn't a way to solve this mess.

To his surprise, Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. All right, he had never waited for Naruto before, and they didn't agree to see one another before the classes but, for some reason, Naruto imagined that they would enter the classroom together. Holding hands. And with some stupid glittery hearts in the background. They would make it clear to everyone that they were dating, and then they would return to their routine. It would make everything easier. He gulped, when someone patted him on the shoulder. He turned rapidly to see Gaara.

"I'm dating Sasuke," Naruto blurted out. Gaara sent him a questioning look. "But he's not here," he added, feeling even more embarrassed. "I have no idea where he is. Should I know that?"

"Maybe?" the man tried. "I don't know, I didn't come here to see him-"

"Of course you didn't," Naruto interrupted the redhead. "Me neither. I have classes," he exclaimed.

"All right," Gaara mumbled out, slowly stepping back. "Did he blackmail you into doing it?" he asked. Naruto shook his head in panic. Gods, he made it look terrible. "Okay," Gaara muttered. "I wish you two luck then?" he stated, looking unsure. It really was a disaster. Naruto looked around, wondering if anyone else noticed that awkward encounter.

"Thanks," he barked. Gaara was supposed to be the easiest to talk to, after all he had said that Sasuke looked cute. Now it would just get worse. Kiba would probably get furious. He had liked Hinata's 'end of relationship' status update on facebook. "What do we do now?" Naruto asked. Gaara shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you sure you actually want to be with him?" the man inquired. "I know you've said you like him but this doesn't look too good-"

"No, no, no, we're very happy together. Super happy," he assured Gaara, embarrassing himself in the process. "And we're not technically together, I guess," he added. He just wanted to be exclusive with me, whatever that means-"

"It means you don't get to fuck other people," Gaara explained in a flat voice. "You can sit with me today, I'm sure Temari will understand-"

"No, I'm going to sit where I always sit. Next to Sasuke," he stated, hoping that he didn't sound as pathetic as he felt. He probably should had shut up, and let Sasuke do the talking. On the other hand, it could end catastrophically. Sasuke wasn't especially gifted at  _talking_. "Let's just go there, all right?"

"I guess," Gaara relented. Naruto let out a relieved sigh, trying to stop his hands from shaking. He wondered if other people knew he and Sasuke already had sex. And if they were interested in who was doing whom. Suddenly, bottoming didn't sound as enticing anymore. Still, he couldn't exactly deny that he was gay for Sasuke. He drew a strained breath. He had been too nervous to eat a breakfast but he still didn't feel like eating. There was probably nothing worse than this.

He entered the classroom, realizing in panic that Sasuke wasn't there. Gods, he should had waited for him. Now he would be pissed off beyond words. Naruto stopped in his track, asking himself if he shouldn't go back. He could still fix this. Unfortunately, other students pushed him forward, every wanting to go to their usual spot. Sasuke's usual was by the window. If Naruto was to take his, Sasuke would have to pass him. Gods, it was getting more and more complicated with every passing second. He hadn't even seen Sasuke yet, and he was already freaking out. He sat by the window, deciding that it was the safest option. It wasn't.

"You're in my spot," Sasuke gritted through his teeth. Naruto didn't even notice him entering. He should had waited for him, right? And greet him in some special manner. Naruto stared at the brunette, having no idea what to do now. If he was to stand up, and exchange places with him, they would brush against one another. And then everyone would know they had sex. Maybe Sai already told them. Perhaps that was why everyone looked so happy. Was Sasuke still walking funny? "Whatever," the brunette grunted, sitting on Naruto's usual seat. "Don't do it again-"

"I won't," he blurted out. The palms of his hands were sweating. He probably should had called Sasuke some pet name, like sunshine or love, or honey, or... Why everything had to be this hard? He hoped Sasuke wouldn't want to hold his hand now, it would probably gross him out.

"Stop freaking out," Sasuke whispered in an unusually calm voice. Shit, he knew. And he was bound to be upset because of this. Naruto gulped, nodding his head. He could always fake confidence. He bit his bottom lip, trying to muster some courage. He put his arm on the back of Sasuke's chair, noticing in terror the sweat marks he was leaving. That was bad. "Relax," Sasuke said in an amused voice.

"I am relaxed," Naruto protested. His voice betrayed him. He was certain he was already past mutation but it seemed that he was still speaking in high pitch whenever he was nervous. Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, smirking.

"It's not like everyone needs to know about it," he mused. "Unless you want them to," he added.

"I just want to get this over with, like, tell everyone we're fucking, and return to normal," Naruto whined almost inaudibly.

"I can do it. Do you want me to?" Sasuke questioned. The blonde chuckled at the silly proposition. "I'm serious-"

"Yeah, right. As if," he snorted.

"Do. You. Want. Me. To?" Sasuke repeated the question. "Don't ask me to do it if you think I won't because I will, and you'll be sorry afterwards-"

"Do it," the blonde taunted.

To his surprise, Sasuke stood up, and, apparently, that was exciting enough to have some people staring at him. "We've fucked," he stated loud and clear, pointing to Naruto, who wished he could die right then and there. Their peers gazed at them, processing the information. The blonde placed his head on the desk, hiding it in his arms. His mouth felt dry, and he was certain that his lungs stopped working. He would probably die of asphyxiation within minutes. He even knew what would appear on his tombstone.  _Naruto Uzumaki, fucked with Sasuke Uchiha_. "I've warned you I'll do it," Sasuke complained, sitting back. Others returned to their conversations. Some sounded more excited than before. "I've asked you if you wanted me to do it," he whispered. Oh,  _now_  he was pissed off.

"Yeah, I didn't know you'd do it like  _that_ ," he grunted into the desk.

"Are you guys serious?" Ino asked. Naruto raised his head at her, feeling sick. "Oh my gosh, you totally are," she exclaimed. "I  _knew_  it!"

"Ino, not now," Sasuke pleaded in a tired voice. She made an embarrassed face, and turned away from them. "You wanted me to do it like that," the brunette sighed.

"Holy fuck, who would actually want it to be done like that?" Naruto complained. "There were  _so_  many other ways to do it-"

"Then  _maybe_  you should've done it yourself," Sasuke snapped.

"Ugh, don't start again," Naruto whined. "Fine, whatever, it's my fault, I should've expected that," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I did tell you to do it-"

"At least it's done now," Sasuke barked.

Naruto exhaled through his nose. He wasn't freaking out as much anymore. He was angry now, and it still sucked but it was better than before. "You're an idiot," he uttered decidedly. He looked around the classroom. Some people were glancing at them every now and then but, other than that, nothing really changed. Only Kiba looked disappointed. Naruto could live with that.

"You're an idiot as well," Sasuke retorted. Naruto snickered, grabbing the man's hand. "It's all wet," he whined but didn't do anything to swat it away. Everything went better than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, yes, i should stop updating so fast  
> and my ending sentences all suck  
> like, i can't write this shit  
> and i couldn't write a decent summary even if it was to stop the apocalypse  
> have you seen some of them  
> pfft  
> that's why it's almost always the first paragraph of the story  
> i don't even know how to summarize this story  
> oh hi, n and s don't like one another but then they do and sex happens  
> yeah, that would be it  
> i would be a terrible salesperson  
> ah, yes, have this doughnut, it's a doughnut, and it's sweet


	18. Chapter 18

"You've used her," Kiba growled at Naruto, who stared at him wide-eyed. They had just ended classes, and Naruto was supposed to go to work. He didn't really have time to talk to him. Sasuke had told him he was going to the library but, apparently, he decided against it when Kiba approached them. "You've ruined her life-"

"Leave him alone," Sasuke barked, trying to pull Naruto away. The blonde didn't budge from his spot. Did he use Hinata? Probably yes. He wasn't really taking her feelings into consideration. And now, when their breakup was still fresh news, he was already parading with Sasuke.

"Oh, you're getting protective of your boy toy," Kiba snorted. "How  _cute_."

Naruto blinked. He had no idea what Kiba was talking about. But he doubted he was just a boy toy. Sure, Sasuke did put an extra emphasis on the physical aspect of their relationship but he also did imply that he... Liked Naruto. Naruto frowned. Was he a boy toy? On the one hand, it was possible. On the other, Sasuke did tell him a lot of stuff Naruto believed he didn't tell too many people. Even if it sounded more like a word vomit than anything else. Naruto turned his head at the man. He looked exceptionally calm.

"Get lost, Kiba," Sasuke scoffed. Well, he still didn't say that Naruto wasn't his boy toy. Naruto chew on his lip, wondering whether he should bring that up. Probably yes but doing so while Kiba was still present, didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Look, fucker," Kiba sneered, getting uncomfortably close to Naruto, and grabbing him by his shirt. The blonde moved his arms to push him away but Sasuke was quicker. And his shove was much more powerful than what Naruto planned. Kiba landed on the floor on his ass, evidently unhappy about this. Naruto was torn between helping Kiba stand up and trying to save the situation, and grabbing Sasuke and running away with him before the man would manage to fuck everything up. "You're going to regret that," Kiba barked.

Sasuke stepped forward, and Naruto stopped him, pulling him back. "Remember what you've told me yesterday?" he whispered, standing in front of him. "Kiba, I'm sorry I've made Hinata unhappy-"

"No, you're not sorry," he interrupted him. "But you will be," he threatened. Some people gathered around them. It was good. It meant that they wouldn't fight there. And, if they did, it would be obvious that Kiba was the one who started it.

"Back off or you'll be the sorry one," Sasuke hissed at him. Naruto rolled his eyes. How easy it was to taunt that guy?

"Sasuke, you back off. This is between me and Kiba," Naruto informed the brunette in a hushed voice. Sasuke glared at him, visibly hurt by something. Naruto had no idea what that was about but he expected more composure from someone, who apparently shouldn't pick fights.

"Now I know who wears pants in your relationship," Kiba cackled. "Sorry, Naruto. It's clear that Sasuke here is the boy toy-"

"He's not," Naruto objected. Sasuke already looked beyond angry. The blonde sighed. He didn't want this to escalate into something bigger, it wasn't worth it. "Kiba, look, we'll talk later. I have to go to work, I really don't have time for this-"

"But you did have time to fuck him," he stated in a condescending voice. "Was it fun? Cheating on your girlfriend? Do you get off to her crying?"

"We haven't done anything until me and Hinata weren't over," Naruto sighed. "I've never cheated on her-"

"I'm not going to believe that you've fallen for him during these two weeks hard enough to fuck him," Kiba snorted. "You did cheat on her. You're just pussing out from admitting it-"

"I'm still here," Sasuke muttered. "And he's not fucking me," he added. Naruto gawked at him. Well, that didn't make much sense. He grabbed the man's hand, hoping to lead him out of there.

"I'm not leaving it like this," Kiba hissed after them.

"Sure," Naruto dismissed him. He trudged through the corridor, feeling people stare at him. It was horrible. "Sasuke, stay out of this," he warned the brunette when they finally went outside. "You're too easy to provoke-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sasuke cursed.

"You've just made my point," the blonde chuckled. "No, but seriously, though. Stay out of this, I'll handle it. He's probably just upset, it will pass, and there's no reason for you to get involved in this-"

"There's no reason for  _him_  to get involved in this," Sasuke retorted. Naruto nodded in agreement. Still, knowing that Hinata had someone supporting her made him feel a little bit better. Even if this someone planned to make his life miserable. "And, just to make it clear to you, you're  _not_  fucking me-"

"Yes, I'm fucking  _with_  you," Naruto agreed. To him, it didn't really matter, it was all just nomenclature but, if adding one little preposition was all it took to make Sasuke content, who was he to deny him that? The brunette stared at him blankly, expressionless. Naruto wasn't certain whether he missed the death mask. On the one hand, it was less tiring. On the other, it wasn't really Sasuke. Plus, it was clear that bottling everything up was rather damaging to him.

As evident from the last night. Naruto thought a lot about what Sasuke had told him - rather unwillingly - and it seemed that under the usually calm demeanor there was a storm brewing, threatening to escape, and flood the world. Naruto had a hunch that Sasuke's random outbursts of anger were a sign of something much worse. From what Sasuke had said, the most problematic issue seemed to be his brother.

Sasuke was strangely dependent on him or at least that was what Naruto gathered after hearing the brunette call Itachi his only family when it was rather clear that he had more living relatives. Like his aunt. Possibly more. And he had confessed that he used to sleep with Itachi in one bed for over a year when he was fourteen - Naruto guessed that it had to happen immediately after the fire. That didn't make much sense if he hated him like he said he did. Naruto supposed Sasuke was just angry but he wouldn't  _let_  himself be angry. Logically thinking, he had no reason to be angry at his brother, it was an accident. And he was all he had left of his immediate family and, supposedly, his childhood years. That would explain why he was panicking so much when he thought he had lost his wallet.

Naruto sighed. It seemed that when it came to people who liked him, they all had to have issues. Probably that would explain why Sakura was never interested in him. She was the epitome of average. And that was wonderful. Naruto smiled at his exclusive-sex-partner-who-had-said-he-liked-him. It didn't really help. "Sasuke, it was really nice that you've stood up for me back there but I'm doing just fine on my own-"

"So you don't need me," he muttered, looking disinterested.

"I don't need you to get yourself in trouble," Naruto clarified. "I've been worse, okay? And I'm going to deal with this just fine. Anyways, Sasuke - I have to go to work, and you need to do your boring stuff," he chirped. Sasuke stopped walking. Naruto turned his head at him. The man looked disappointed but he had to know that there was nothing he could do. Especially after last Saturday. "You know you've almost got me fired?" he questioned.

"How?" he asked. At least now he showed some emotion. Even if it was just mild surprise.

"Well... You were about to..." he tried to refer but stopped mid-sentence. However he looked at it, Sasuke had been about to have sex with Orochimaru. The older guy still was sending shivers down Naruto's spine. Even if he wasn't as bad as he had seemed to be. Naruto cleared his throat. "Well, I kind of interrupted you and Orochimaru," he mumbled out.

"So it's  _your_  fault," Sasuke stated. He didn't look flustered. It seemed that almost fucking a thirty years old guy on Saturday, and then doing a different one on Monday was a normal occurrence. Nothing too exciting.

"Did you and Orochimaru ever...?" he tried to ask. The last words didn't want to leave his throat. It wasn't his business, and it didn't matter, that was  _before_. Still, it was bothering him.

"No," Sasuke replied. Naruto rolled his eyes. Yes, one-worded answers were getting the job done but he would had appreciated it if Sasuke said more. When he had been drunk, he had said that he wasn't able to get himself interested in the creeper if he was sober but, no matter how he looked at it, Sasuke wasn't exactly  _aware_  of what he was doing while he was wasted.

* * *

 

Naruto smiled sheepishly at Yahiko, who had been glaring daggers at Gaara ever since the redhead appeared at the pub. While Gaara had been lucky enough to receive only orders for beers while he had been taking Naruto's place as the bartender, he had no idea how the cash register worked like. He hadn't been giving out any receipts. And that would probably ruin everything if anyone decided that it was the time for a control. Especially since Gaara wasn't an employee.

"You've screwed up," Yahiko muttered. "You're lucky Konan stood up for you," he added. Naruto nodded in agreement. Yahiko had said that he would fire Naruto if he was to do that again but it seemed that he had a change of heart during the weekend. He decided to be angry again. "And you're lucky that I'm leaving. But don't think you'll be getting any positive references from me. I'm telling the new guy to find himself a new employee-"

"So you've already found a buyer?" Naruto questioned. He would have to find himself a new job asap. Perhaps as a freelancer. From what Sasuke told him, it worked out for him. Still, Naruto wasn't willing to grope with some old man just to get himself a deal.

"Yeah," Yahiko grunted. "I'm leaving this shithole in a month-"

"I thought it was a high end pub," Gaara chimed in, audibly amused. He came together with Naruto after the classes. Sasuke couldn't. He had some boring stuff to do. Like sitting in the library. As if he couldn't find his sources online. Books were overrated. They didn't contain the newest data.

"For you it is," Yahiko barked. "Only  _I_  can offend it," he uttered under his breath.

"And now the pub owner is being rude to his customer," Gaara mused. Naruto sent him a panicked stare. Why did all of his friends have to be socially inept? Sasuke probably took the crown for his 'we've fucked' declaration but it seemed that Gaara still considered himself a competition.

"You're not a real customer," Yahiko replied. "You're his friend," he clarified, pointing to Naruto. "And you've worked the bar. Why did you do that?" he whined.

"He had to fix his other friend," Gaara answered. "The barfing one. See, in comparison to him, I'm not this bad," he pointed out. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'm kind of dating the barfing one," he muttered. Yahiko choked on his soda.

"He's a  _guy_ ," he whispered in a panicked tone. Naruto sighed, rubbing his temple. "And what about that cute girl? You can't be serious-"

"He is," Gaara interrupted him. Most people wouldn't notice that but he was angry. His face was tense. "The cute girl is no more," he added.

"What do you mean no more? I've talked to her just yesterday. I thought you guys were unbreakable," he said. "Konan loves her too-"

Naruto stared at him, hoping that he didn't hear it right. And that if he did hear it right, then he was just misinterpreting it. Hinata couldn't had been coming here, talking to his boss and coworker. It didn't make sense. At least Sasuke wasn't there to learn about it.

"So, she comes here often?" he asked. "I've broken up with her over two weeks ago," he added, trying to sound uninterested and not nervous. He probably failed but Yahiko didn't seem to notice.

"Two weeks ago? I thought you two were still together. And yeah, she comes here almost every day. Sometimes she even brings cookies," he replied. "She must be nuts, man. I hope we didn't screw up by talking with her," he said, sounding sorry. "You know, kiddo, I'm kind of freaked out by the fact that you're messing with guys-"

"Okay," Naruto interrupted him. He felt hurt. Sure, he and Yahiko weren't friends or anything like that but people being freaked out by whom he decided to date was the exact thing he was afraid of. At last their study group already knew. Naruto didn't have to worry about them suspecting it, and asking about it one by one. He preferred to deal with it all at once, and not hold it out for gods knew how long.

"But I hope he treats you better than she does," Yahiko concluded.

"He's a dick," Gaara stated in a dull voice. Naruto snorted at that. Well, he had to agree that Sasuke  _was_  pretty dickish. At first he had been ridiculously laid back, and now he was getting pissed off for no reason. Somehow, it seemed to be a progress. Even if it wasn't an especially pleasant one.

"He's not this bad," Naruto said. He hoped that if he was to get Sasuke to let everything out of his system, the man would become more peaceful. It was clear that he needed a release.

"He's a total diva," Gaara laughed. "I have no idea what you're seeing in him besides a pretty face-"

"Fucking hell, you too?" Yahiko mumbled out. He looked devastated. Naruto was slowly starting to think that he wouldn't miss him as much as he had thought he would.

"He's fun to be around," Naruto replied, ignoring his boss's complaint. "And I don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing-"; He stopped mid-sentence. Lately, censoring himself to not upset Sasuke became his second nature. And he had been apologizing a lot. And Sasuke wasn't exactly cooperative. He was mostly demanding. They would have to change that quick.

* * *

 

Sasuke blinked in surprise. Naruto wanted him to drop by after he would be done with his 'boring stuff,' and Sasuke had thought that the man wanted them to have a friendly conversation about nothing. That they would perhaps catch up on the last two weeks. Or, what Sasuke had been anxious about, that Naruto decided to discuss the last night.

"You're getting pissed off at me for no reason," Naruto accused. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He was getting pissed off right  _now_.

"I'm not talking to you about this here," he muttered under his breath. Really, the moron was unbelievable. Discussing their private matters in a very public pub didn't make any sense. And it was even more wrong, taking into consideration the fact that they just started to be lovers. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. It was way too soon for them to have an argument. Although, he had to admit that arguing was their main mean of communication.

"No-one's here, dum dum," the blonde replied. "And you can't always have everything your way-"

"My way?" Sasuke sneered. "Do you even hear yourself? Things usually  _don't_  go my way, getting together with you is literally the only thing that went my way," he gritted through his teeth. Naruto stared at him wide-eyed, visibly taken aback. Sasuke mentally went back through everything he had just said. He did admit to having wanted to be with the moron but that should had been obvious by now. Unless it wasn't. "You do know you're not just some random guy I decided to fuck, right?" he questioned. Naruto snorted, rolling his eyes.

" _So_  romantic," he chirped in a mocking tone. "But, since we're on the topic of fucking - like, I feel we kind of  _were_  doing everything just the way you wanted it to be-"

"Would you rather have it done in a way I  _wouldn't_  like?" he asked, his voice cold. He had no idea what Naruto was getting at.

"Of course not," Naruto whined. "But, like, you kind of don't let me pleasure you, and you're sort of just doing it yourself? Like, is it even sex or some weird ass masturbation?"

Sasuke deadpanned at the blonde. That conversation was beyond stupid. "So you didn't like it," he said.

"I liked it," Naruto protested. "But it felt as if I was reduced to a dick and a mouth, I mean... You've mouth-fucked me, fingered yourself and rode me. That's not how I usually do it," he complained. Sasuke sighed.

"From what I know, you usually don't have sex with men," he replied. The blonde blushed. It shouldn't be this visible on his dark skin but his cheeks were almost scarlet. It definitely stood out. So did Naruto's bright blue eyes and blond hair. The view was quite captivating. Sasuke mentally scolded himself for thinking that Naruto looked like a generic blond guy everyone wanted to fuck. He was more; much, much more.

"Well, all right, you have a point. But, you know, you've shown me the ropes, and now you could let me make you feel good," he mumbled out. "And I understand that you don't like missionary for whatever reason but there are other ways-"

"Why do you care so much?" Sasuke inquired. It was tiring. "What's so bad about me riding you?"

"I don't feel...needed," the blonde explained, almost stuttering in the process. "And you kind of generally don't need me-"

"I don't," he admitted. "You don't need me either," he added.

"When we didn't see one another for the last two weeks, I was grieving. You were trying to hook up with Orochimaru," Naruto said in an accusing tone. "So it's not entirely true that I don't need you-"

"I wasn't trying to hook up with Orochimaru for  _fun_ ," Sasuke barked. "I hoped I will feel so bad about it that I'll forget about you," he snarled. Naruto gazed at him, clearly shocked. "What?"

"It sounds really stupid," he whispered. "That has to be one of your most stupid ideas, and you've had a lot of them," he uttered in a tone of disbelief. "Seriously, I still can't believe you've said that-"

"Shut up," Sasuke demanded. "And get me something to drink," he decided, handing money to the blonde, who didn't accept it. Naruto crossed his arms, glaring at him. It was getting annoying. This whole conversation was annoying. The worst thing was that Naruto's behavior now and during sex was almost identical. Sasuke didn't feel like reminiscing, he should be focused on the argument.

"You're not getting wasted today," he muttered. "We're going to talk, and you're going to remember what it was about."

"You  _work_  here. Either get me something to drink or I'm leaving. I don't feel like talking to you sober."

"You're just evading everything you might not like," Naruto retorted. "I bet you didn't even try to talk to your brother-"

"How is that any of your business?!" Sasuke growled. They even weren't together. Naruto definitely wanted too much too quick. What was even worse, he was right. Sasuke didn't talk to his brother. Not really. He had been mostly keeping him happy by saying that he was happy. They did have some unresolved issues but discussing them  _now_ , after all these years, would be just opening an old wound. It wouldn't make sense, and it would bring more bad than good. Sasuke didn't want to hurt Itachi, and he knew that it was the only thing he would be getting out of it. He himself wouldn't feel better.

"How was Hinata your business?" the blonde questioned. "I've been telling you to stay away from it, and you didn't. Don't expect me to not return the favor-"

"You weren't  _able_  to deal with Hinata," Sasuke hissed.

"You're not dealing with this either," Naruto barked, leaning over the bar, resting his forearms on its top. His face was just inches from Sasuke's. The brunette felt his blood boil, both from anger and arousal. He was a sucker for Naruto's smell. He clenched his fists, refraining himself from crushing his lips against Naruto's. He was way too horny for his liking. While he didn't mind having sex in public, this time he actually desired it. And that scared him. The blonde constantly made him lose control. He had spent too much time trying to keep himself in check to give it away willingly. He shifted on his stool, his dick rubbing against the fabric of his pants. It was wrong. He needed to focus on something else, to distract himself.

"I am," he protested. His tone was heated. He wondered if Naruto noticed. He hoped not. The blonde sent him a questioning look, getting even closer, their foreheads touching. If Sasuke was to lean forward, they would kiss. He didn't dare to do it. He was sure he would lose it if he did.

"I thought you had a fever," Naruto mumbled out, moving away but still staying too close. His arms were touching Sasuke's. He could feel the man's muscles twitch with every little motion. "Anyways, you're not dealing with it. It's stressing you out," he stated in a firm voice. "I think," he started but Sasuke didn't let him finish, closing his mouth with his own. Naruto's lips were soft, he was barely returning the kiss, his moves gentle and affectionate. That was the exact opposite of what Sasuke needed at the moment. He cupped the blonde's head with his hands, pulling him closer, invading the hot orifice with his tongue, biting the man's upper lip, and sucking on it.

"Let me in there," he demanded. Naruto was already panting. That was a good sign.

"I can't do that," the blonde protested. "What if someone comes-"

"We will hear them," Sasuke assured him. "I promise you won't regret it-"

"I'm starting to think you want to get me fired," Naruto snorted, his eyes glazed with lust. "But I really can't do it, there's a security camera right there," he pointed to some point behind his back.

"You'll delete the footage afterwards," Sasuke suggested.

"I can't, I don't have the code," the blonde chuckled. Sasuke sighed, breaking their contact.

"Nobody's going to watch it anyways," he said. "And it will be automatically deleted after some days, nobody's storing it forever," he argued. He wanted Naruto to gave in to him, to make sure that he wasn't the only one losing his head.

"There are some blind spots," Naruto whispered. "But people are going to come here, we might get caught-"

"We won't," Sasuke promised.

"What do you even want to do?" the blonde asked.

"I could suck you off," he offered.

"What's in it for you?"

"Plenty" Sasuke scoffed. "Are you in or not?"

* * *

 

Naruto bit his lip, forcing himself to suppress a pleasured groan. Sasuke raised his eyes at him, looking inappropriately content. He shouldn't look like that when he was going down on someone. Naruto buried his hand in black locks, pulling Sasuke away. His lips and chin were moist, his eyes half-lidded. A thin strand of saliva was hanging between his swollen lip and the blonde's dick. Naruto was certain that the man was doing that on purpose. Normal people didn't look like stills from porn. No matter how hard they tried.

They shouldn't even be there right now. Theoretically, nobody should interrupt them but it still felt wrong. And it was probably unsanitary. Naruto was certain he was breaking like a thousand of regulations. As if Yahiko ever needed more reasons to fire him.

"If anyone finds out about this, I'm screwed," he whispered. Sasuke sent him a lazy smile, his mouth ghosting over Naruto's shaft.

"You'll be screwed regardless of whether anyone finds out about this or not," he replied, his voice filled with lust. He was good. Really good. Naruto gasped in surprise as a cold finger found its way between his butt cheeks. He had seen Sasuke doing it to himself and liking it, and he was expecting nothing else but it still felt weird. "It's really going to be my favorite pub," Sasuke chuckled before engulfing Naruto's length again. His tongue was everywhere, and it was impossibly soft. And he was sucking - but not too hard, just perfect.

"Yeah, about that," he panted. "Like, don't get me wrong, I'd love to try this out and all that but we kind of don't have-"; he was forced to stop talking. The pleasure was almost insufferable; his blood, thin like water, was jostling through his veins, crashing in his heart, shattering his body into smithereens. He backed into the doors with Sasuke following him on his knees, his bony fingers digging into his hip. A glass fell on the floor, breaking into pieces. "We can't stay here," he whimpered, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't listen. He wasn't able to imagine a reality, in which Sasuke would leave him like this, hanging on the edge on a thin strand of consciousness. He needed to fall, to have his body destroyed. If Sasuke was to stop now, he would probably go insane.

"Why can't we stay here?" Sasuke asked, his voice deep. Naruto let out a disappointed grunt as his shaft left the hot crevice of Sasuke's mouth. "It's not like anyone will learn about this-"

"Fuck, I want you so bad," Naruto whispered, his hands grasping black hair, his knuckles getting white. Sasuke smirked at him smugly, apparently seeing Naruto's self-control crumble, and stroked his dick, his hand moving painfully slow. As if to torture him, to not let him come but, at the same time, to keep him on the edge of climax. "I'm seriously going to lose it," the blonde groaned. He almost lost his balance when Sasuke's finger slowly entered him.

"It's just the tip," the man snickered. That was hard to believe. Naruto could swear it had to be more. He was proved wrong just moments later, when Sasuke pushed his finger deeper. "Relax," he murmured. It was easier said than done. Having a finger in his ass felt...weird. He gulped when Sasuke took him in his mouth again. He couldn't focus on the sensation, all he could think of was that damn finger. He pulled Sasuke's hair in surprise when a wave of pleasure flooded him. He shut his eyes. It was overwhelming. Nobody should be able to feel this good.

He heard footsteps, and the blood froze in his veins. He was on the verge of climax, he had his pants pulled down to his ankles, Sasuke looked like a mess, his knees dirty, his hair sticking in every possible direction, and there was a broken glass on the floor. He moved much quicker than he expected himself to be able to, gently pushing Sasuke away, and pulling his pants up. He almost cut his dick on the fly.

"Fix yourself," he ordered the man, who was visibly suppressing a cackle. Naruto pulled the man up, and led him out from the bar area. That was insane, the whole idea was insane. What was worse, his shaft was constantly rubbing against the fabric of his boxers, and the friction was enough to keep him beyond aroused. He was certain he would shoot any moment now. And that was wrong on so many levels that he actually wanted it to happen.

Sasuke combed his hair with his fingers, and wiped his face with a sleeve. He should probably go wash his hands but it seemed that he wasn't going to do that right now. Probably to unnerve Naruto more. A group of people appeared in the room. They seemed completely oblivious to what was going on in there just seconds ago. Naruto swept the glass away, and washed his hands in the little bar sink. Then he gestured Sasuke to go to the bathroom. He still looked like a mess.

"Come visit me after work," the brunette said, gathering his bag. Naruto mentally counted to ten, trying to calm his racing heart, and willing his boner away. He knew he would do that. It seemed that the talk he wanted to have with Sasuke would have to wait.

* * *

 

"Fuck, we can stay like this, this is perfect," Naruto panted, sprawled on all fours on the bed. Sasuke stopped mid-thrust, his dick awkwardly half-buried in Naruto's ass. That  _wasn't_  happening. He had agreed to topping mostly to make Naruto stop complaining. Now it seemed that after taking a finger, the blonde wanted the whole arm.

"You can't be serious," he mumbled out. The blonde turned his head at him, his face flushed and red from rubbing against the pillow.

"Why?" he asked in a whiny voice, moving his hips to impale himself on Sasuke's shaft. He was clearly unhappy about the pause. Sasuke grabbed his ass and stopped it from moving. That couldn't be happening.

"We're not staying like this," he muttered. "This is a one-time thing-"

"No, no, no, no," the blonde complained. "We're going to repeat that. You're not taking it away from me-"

" _I_  bottom," Sasuke snapped.

"Stop being so selfish and fuck me," Naruto growled at him. "And this discussion isn't over. I have just as much right to it as you do," he muttered. Sasuke moved inside of him mostly to shut him up. "Actually, I have  _more_  rights to it. I'm sure you've already had your share," he complained into the cushion, his words breaking into incomprehensible noises with every slow thrust. Sasuke wondered whether he shouldn't pretend that he was hopeless at topping. Perhaps then everything would return back to normal. "Stop slacking off," the blonde groaned. "Or I'm not coming anywhere near your flat ass for the next few months," he threatened. Sasuke's dick throbbed at the words. Angry sex was strangely satisfying. He quickened his moves, feeling rather ambivalent about Naruto's moans.

"I could tell you the exact same thing," he panted, gripping Naruto's length, and stroking it. It was dripping with precum, so he smeared it all over the shaft, making it slick. He had to focus really hard to not have his fist slip off of it.

"Just earn your fucking reward then," Naruto rasped, digging his fingers into the mattress. "Fuck me, and I'll fuck you. It's a fair deal," he mewed. "And don't you fucking dare to stop now-"

Sasuke snorted, fighting the urge to do just that. Naruto was tensing under him, his muscles twitching, his asshole embracing Sasuke's shaft as if it never wanted to let it go.

"Oh my fucking god," Naruto whimpered in a low, raspy voice. Sasuke let go off the man's dick, and grabbed his ass, spreading the butt cheeks apart. Naruto really did have a fine ass. Watching it swallow Sasuke's length as if it was nothing was quite a rewarding sight. He leaned over the tanned back, savoring the heat it was emanating.

"You're one greedy bitch," he whispered into Naruto's ear. He expected his lover to get angry with him but he just shifted his position to correct the angle of Sasuke's thrusts. Sasuke could feel the body underneath him getting limper, toned thighs trembling, barely able to support its weight. "Keep your ass up," he ordered. Naruto moaned at the words, his hole tightening around Sasuke, who bit the nape of his neck in a parting gesture before straightening his back again. The blonde kept moving his hips, strengthening the impact of each thrust. Sasuke smirked under his nose, positioning his thumbs at the entrance, rubbing it for more friction.

"Don't you dare stop, Sasuke," the man scowled. "Just fucking ravish me-"

Sasuke chuckled, moving one of his hands to the blonde's balls, and pulling them down. Naruto gasped in pleasure, finally cocking one of his blue eyes open. It was glazed with lust.

"I'm going to cum all over your stupid sheet," Naruto threatened in broken syllables. Sasuke sent the blonde a warm smile, enjoying how verbal he was. He chewed on his lip, trying to forget how fucking empty his ass felt at the moment. Their bodies were slamming against one another, and Sasuke caught himself getting dangerously close to climax.

"Then fucking come already," he hissed. Naruto gazed at him as if he had been awaiting his permission, his lips parting, a thin strand of saliva hanging between them. Sasuke groaned as Naruto's tight butthole pulsated, practically forcing him to orgasm. The body underneath him twitched, all of its muscles contracting at once.

"Holy fuck," the blonde cursed in an exhausted voice. Sasuke mentally agreed, resting on Naruto, who fell on the mattress, panting heavily. "Your ass can forget about my cock, it's not getting any-"

"Then yours isn't getting any either. Earn your fucking reward," Sasuke muttered under his breath, repeating Naruto's words. "Next time is mine," he whispered. His dick was slowly getting soft, and it was way too sensitive. He raised his hips, removing himself from Naruto. "Fucking condom stayed inside," he chuckled, pulling it out, and throwing it off the bed.

"If you've told me two months ago that you'd be pulling used condoms out of my ass, I would've thought you were high," Naruto sighed. "You're heavy," he complained. "Look, just fuck me one more time, and  _then_  it will be my turn-"

"I can fuck you, but it's still my ass that gets to be pounded into the bed," Sasuke murmured. "Cut the crap, and take some responsibility for what you're saying-"

"I never go back on my word," Naruto whined in a sleepy tone.

"Sure you don't," Sasuke teased. The blonde moved under him to make Sasuke fall off of him. Sasuke grunted at that, unhappy about being tossed away. He wasn't unhappy for too long because Naruto pulled him closer, embracing him.

"My hips hurt," he complained. "And I feel gross," he chuckled. "And you're one greedy bitch yourself," he added, yawning. "You're the one who makes me feel as if I was your dildo-"

"My dildo is far less whiny," Sasuke replied. "And it doesn't try to bargain with me-" He stopped when Naruto pinched his neck, turned his head towards the blonde, and smiled at him, poking his still red cheek. "You're not my dildo. Try moving more and you won't feel like one-"

"Easy for you to say, Mr. I-don't-do-missionary," Naruto retorted. "You just  _like_  it when I don't move-"

"I might agree to a missionary with you," Sasuke whispered, closing his eyes. His body finally cooled off. Naruto's was still unpleasantly warm, and they were both sticky but Sasuke wasn't ready to break the contact yet. Naruto being this close to him was soothing. He would be willing to surrender some of his pride to let the man take care of him. They would remain equal.

"That's a sudden change of heart. But fine, I'll take it," Naruto murmured, caressing Sasuke's back. "My dad's going to be fucking thrilled when I'll introduce you to him," he snorted. "You'll have to be on your best behavior," he lectured. "And, as far as he's concerned, we have no idea what sex is-"

"Why are we suddenly talking about meeting our legal guardians?" Sasuke asked in a tired voice.

"Iruka has to meet you," the blonde said as if it was something obvious. "I don't want him to freak out when he sees my facebook update-"

"Of course, it's about facebook," Sasuke snorted, earning himself a nudge in the ribs. Still, seeing how Naruto didn't plan to hide him from the world was nice. "What are we? ' _It's complicated_ '?"

"I'm serious here," Naruto scoffed. "I don't care what you think about Iruka, you're going to be nice to him. Like, seriously nice. If you're afraid you might overdo it, don't be because it's impossible. When do you want to go there?" he questioned. "Because I may need to take a day off from work-"

"I'm translating for Orochimaru this Saturday but I'm free on Sunday," Sasuke informed him. Naruto frowned at that. He probably still didn't like Orochimaru. "And in three weeks time my brother comes to visit me, so you could meet with us later on," he offered, hoping that it would distract Naruto. It did. Sasuke knew that he probably should had said that Naruto could spend the whole day with them but he had no idea when he was going to see Itachi again, and he didn't feel like sharing.

"Then it's set," the blonde chirped. "What about your aunt?"

"Next Sunday," Sasuke relented. It would be tough three weeks.

"Hinata's been coming to my work when I wasn't there," Naruto confessed after a longer while. "She's been talking to my boss and Konan. He had no idea that we aren't together," he added.

"That sucks," Sasuke replied. He wondered if getting a restraining order on her would be possible. Probably not. She wasn't aggressive. Everything would be much easier if she was. There was a chance that Neji would be able to fix the issue permanently. The other worrying person was Kiba. At least he threatened them. In front of people. That was probably as good as it was going to get. He wished Hinata was equally helpful.

"Aren't you going to elaborate on that?" Naruto asked, letting out a nervous laugh.

"It's not like you're going to listen to what I have to say," Sasuke murmured. "At least Sai's asleep. I don't think I want  _him_  to make any comments again-"

"Where are you going to live now?" Naruto inquired, interrupting him. "And I do listen to what you have to say, I just don't always do what you're telling me to do," he grunted.

"I have no idea," he replied. He would need to find himself a new place. Or return to Neji. It appeared that he wasn't able to find himself a flatmate. "I'm usually right though," he added. "It would benefit you if you listened to my advice-"

"Yeah, it would mostly benefit  _you_ ," Naruto snickered. "See, this is what I'm talking about. You're totally uncompromising," he mused. "And it should be me, I mean,  _I_  am the only child-"

"Naruto," Sasuke grunted, feeling ridiculously anxious. The man made a questioning noise, so he continued. "You've said you didn't know your parents," he stated, carefully weighing every word, and searching for any sign of discomfort on the blonde's face. "And that you were adopted by your  _former_  teacher, and I guess that you weren't adopted immediately, so... What was going on with you in between?" he asked. To his surprise, Naruto didn't seem too distressed by the question.

"I was in some other families but they couldn't keep me, like, I was pretty troublesome," he answered. "I don't blame them, they had other kids to take care of, and I was making more commotion than the rest of them put together," he added. "I also spent some time in the orphanage. It's not as bad as movies make it out to be, or at least  _I_  was lucky. But it still sucks, like, nobody really cares about you, the workers are overworked, and even if they do want to be extra nice to us, they burn out after some time. So it was… fine. Somewhat lonely but all right," he concluded. "And then Iruka took me in. That man is a saint, I was a horrible student," Naruto snorted. "And I've pranked him more times than I can count. He was constantly telling me that I wouldn't amount to anything good if I kept acting like that, and I guess he was kind of right, like, you know, I probably wouldn't even finish the elementary school if it wasn't for him," he snorted. "But, gods, he literally had to force me to cram. I was awful-"

"You were a kid," Sasuke said. There were  _some_  similarities between his and Naruto's story. Only, Sasuke started to act out after he was taken in by his aunt. It seemed that Naruto was far more grateful. And more at peace with his situation. Still, he didn't know any other. What Sasuke saw as a massive downgrade, was an improvement to him.

"Well, yeah, I was," the blonde whispered. "Iruka is nice, you know. He whines a lot but he cares," he stated. "So, seriously,  _no_  talking back to him. And you're going to compliment his cooking. It's awful but I've used to complain about it a lot when I was younger, and now I'm making up for that making my friends say they love it. Neji still regrets that. He kind of overdid it once, and now Iruka stuffs him with some really nasty stuff. If I tell him that Neji's coming, he specially goes to shop to buy something  _extra_ ," he laughed. "So, you know, say it's nice but don't say anything specific. Neji said he likes his food spicy, and now he's suffering-"

"I didn't know Neji was capable of a sacrifice like that," Sasuke snorted.

"He's great if he likes you," Naruto agreed. "And he's a total ass if he doesn't. Like, there's no in between for him. So, anyways, you're going to be  _perfect_ -"

"I'm not perfect, though," Sasuke mused. "I'm not lecturing you on how to act in front of  _my_  aunt," he added.

"I know you're not, you'd be boring as fuck if you were. And you're not lecturing me because parents  _adore_  me," he said, apparently firmly believing in every word. Sasuke chuckled at that. He had to admit that his mom would probably like Naruto. The blonde was really nice. "Really, your aunt's going to tell you that I'm  _charming_. And that you should be more like me, if you're unlucky," he chirped.

"That's not going to happen," Sasuke whispered. "But whatever, I can act nice every once in a while," he murmured. Naruto showed him a wide, thankful grin, and smooched him on the forehead.

"So, since you've agreed to meeting our 'legal guardians'," the blonde whispered in a teasing tone, making quotation marks with his fingers, "like, are we something more than whatever being exclusive makes you into? I mean, are you my boyfriend?"

"I might be," Sasuke agreed, refraining himself from smiling.

"Such enthusiasm," the blonde whined. "Seriously, tone down a bit," he mocked.

"At least we're not 'it's complicated' anymore," Sasuke pointed out in a flat voice. Naruto rolled his eyes, and burst out laughing. Sasuke smirked at him. He had no idea when was the last time he had introduced anyone to his aunt and brother. Still, Naruto didn't have to know that. Especially since it seemed this obvious and natural to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does this count as a late update?  
> it shouldn't, it's been less than a week  
> but i'm spoiling you so it kind of /is/ a late update  
> sorry? c:
> 
> my personal opinion on this chapter is meh  
> but i've been rewriting it so many times  
> there's not enough drama in it  
> but i wanted them to sort out some issues first  
> and now it's kind of lengthy  
> i don't know  
> have mercy


	19. Chapter 19

Naruto grinned at Sakura. She didn't smile back, glaring daggers at Sasuke, who was standing right next to Naruto. The blonde sighed internally. Whatever it was, he would probably have to ditch Sasuke. And that wasn't a particularly good idea. Kiba had been fuming at them all day long. At least he had been doing that from a safe distance - probably Shino's doing. Shino generally seemed to be a reasonable man. Naruto envied him for his stoic attitude.

"We need to talk," Sakura barked at him instead of saying hi. Sasuke knitted his eyebrows, stopping her hand from grabbing Naruto's. She didn't like that. Hell, she already clenched her fists, ready to fight Sasuke. And Sasuke was probably just as willing to have a random fight with her.

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto exclaimed, separating their hands. "Sure, we can talk-"

"You were supposed to take me out," Sasuke interrupted him.

"It will take just a couple of minutes," he assured his  _boyfriend_. Gods, it still seemed weird to him. He had an actual  _boyfriend_. Who fucked him. Yesterday. And he liked it. Naruto shook his head, chasing away embarrassing thoughts. He had to focus on Sakura. It was pretty out of character for her to seek him out like this. She had stopped asking him out the moment he confessed to her. "Because it will be a short talk, right?" he asked Sakura, who fiercely nodded her head. Now he would need to busy Sasuke with something. "Could you buy me a coffee?" he pleaded, shoving some money into Sasuke's hand. The brunette narrowed his eyes at him. "Buy it in the buffet, I want a real one," Naruto added, probably stretching his boyfriend's patience. "With foam," he decided. Yes, that should take long enough.

"I'm not buying you coffee," Sasuke hissed, giving him back the money, and sitting on a bench. "I'll just wait for you," he grunted, looking away. Naruto pouted at him but that didn't work. Well, he would just have to hope that nothing bad would happen.

He walked away with Sakura. The woman was still glaring at Sasuke. It looked as if they had a staring contest. And they both intended to win it.

"So, what is it?" he questioned.

"I've been talking with Hinata," she confessed. Naruto scoffed upon hearing the news. He was slowly getting tired of Hinata talking about him with other people. Even if, theoretically, she had full right to do that. "She said you were devastated after breaking up with her," she whispered. "Did that guy bully you into it? I knew something was up when you suddenly decided to be gay-"

"I'm not gay," Naruto protested.

"See? I knew it!" she exclaimed. "Now, let me beat some sense into that guy-"

Naruto had to admit that Sakura was great at punching people. Still, he didn't see a reason why she would want to hit Sasuke. Especially since he was more than certain that he would hit her back. "Sasuke did nothing wrong," he said. Well, he probably did some things wrong. She didn't have to know about it. "And I have never wanted to date Hinata-"

"Was that some ploy to get me jealous? Because if you did that to get my attention then you can consider yourself dead to me," she hissed. The blonde facepalmed. It was getting ridiculous.

"I wasn't trying to get your attention," he assured her. "I wasn't trying to get  _anyone's_  attention. She was just... Kind of stalking me," he confessed.

"Now you're being stupid," Sakura snorted. "She wasn't stalking you, she is just worried. And no wonder she's worried, that guy is awful-"

"He's not," Naruto objected. "Nobody forced me to date him. And she was stalking both me and Sasuke. This is how she knows all that nasty stuff about him," he said.

"So she's told you, and yet you're parading with him? Are you fucking serious? I know when something's up, and this thing you have with that guy is definitely not right. He's obsessed with you. I remember when he said you two were dating when you  _weren't_. And then he ruined your first date with Hinata  _and_  your entire relationship. And then you're suddenly gay-"

"I'm  _not_  gay," Naruto interrupted her. "But I'm not straight either. And he didn't ruin anything. I've asked him to come and ruin that date-"

"You what?!" she gawked. "Look, Naruto, I'm not letting you fuck everything up. Ever since that guy showed up in your life, you've been weird. And now you're not even seeing your friends. I bet he's not letting you do that-"

"Sakura, stop," Naruto pleaded. "He's not forbidding me to see my friends. I just wanted Hinata to have a safe place-"

"See, you still care about her," she exclaimed. "And he looks pissed off already, it's obvious that he doesn't want us to talk," she stated in an accusing voice. The blonde stared at her. She was ignoring everything he said, trying to blame Sasuke for all the evils of this world.

"He's pissed because I was supposed to take him out on a date, and I'm talking with you," he pointed out.

"Hinata saw you two arguing. And he beat up Neji. For fuck's sake, Naruto, he beat up your friend, is abusive to you and ruined your relationship, and you're  _still_  trying to defend him. Are you really this afraid of him?"

"I'm not afraid of him," he retorted. "Sakura, you weren't there when he fought with Neji. Neji hit him first-"

"Well, yeah, because that asshole was taunting him," Sakura shouted. "Stop defending him, and just admit that you're scared. I can break up with him for you, and I'll keep you safe afterwards," she offered. Naruto sighed. It wasn't going to be a short talk.

"Sakura, I like him. A lot," he confessed. "And yeah, sure, he has some issues but it's nothing too bad. Hinata has much bigger issues," he said. She looked as if she wanted to interrupt him, so he gestured her to stay quiet for a little while longer. "She really was stalking me. She probably knows all there is to know about me, and she was watching me when I thought I was alone. She's studying here because she wanted to stay near me-"

"Well, you're just freaking out for no reason. That's just super sweet. You deserve someone who cares this much about you-"

"Sakura, don't," the blonde pleaded, rubbing his face. He looked over his shoulder at Sasuke. The man was staring at them, a blank expression on his face. When their eyes locked, he started to get up but Naruto gestured him to stay where he was. "Hinata isn't  _this_  nice, okay? I would stay away from her if I were you. The only reason why I even started being with her was that I wanted to keep her away from Sasuke. But she kept on trying to find dirt on him, and I've decided that it didn't make much sense-"

"That's fucking cruel," she mumbled out. "You got together with her, knowing  _very_  well that it was her biggest dream and you didn't even  _like_  her?"

"Maybe it shouldn't be her biggest dream," Naruto barked. "And I did like her, just... Look, I'm with Sasuke now. And I'm happy with him - no matter what she's saying. I have to go now, we can talk later," he blurted out, turning on his heel, and walking towards his boyfriend. Somehow, he didn't feel like going out anymore. Still, he owed it to Sasuke. And he did already make a reservation at the laser tag place.

Naruto grinned at him, running up to him, and resting his arm on the brunette's shoulder.

"What was that all about?" Sasuke questioned, still glaring daggers at Sakura.

"She thinks you've bullied me into dating you," he snickered. Sasuke frowned upon hearing the news. "I'm starting to think I'm a real catch," he teased. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I've never said you weren't," he replied in a flat voice.

"I can't believe you've almost complimented me," the blonde chuckled.

"I've already told you that you have a nice ass," Sasuke pointed out, following Naruto out of the campus. He didn't sound flustered. "You, on the other hand... You've never said anything nice," he snorted. "And I've always been told I'm a looker-"

"I like your nose," Naruto confessed.

"Nose?" Sasuke questioned uncertainly. "That's random," he mused. "Let me get this straight - according to you, I have a flat ass, bad skin, silly haircut-"

"And a really good looking nose," Naruto laughed. The brunette scoffed at him. "No, but seriously though. Your ass isn't  _this_  flat. I mean, it is  _pretty_  flat. But there's nothing wrong about it. Like, it has some charm. If someone's into flat bony asses then yours is perfect-"

"I take it that you're not this someone," Sasuke barked. Naruto beamed at him, squeezing one of his butt cheeks. It was firm in touch.

"I absolutely adore it," he whispered, leaning towards Sasuke, who rolled his eyes at him, letting out a pleased grunt. He hoped that Sakura would be able to notice that they weren't an unhappy couple. He needed to contact his friends fast. It seemed that breaking up with Hinata was not enough to solve the issue.

* * *

 

Naruto gazed at Sasuke, admiring his toned body. He had to admit that the man really was an eye candy. He looked strangely flustered - and that particular emotional state was rather uncommon for Sasuke. The blonde beamed at him, and lowered himself, smooching his neck. His skin tasted a little bit salty - but that was to be expected after they had spent an entire evening trying to shoot one another. Naruto smiled to himself, brushing his lips against Sasuke's collarbone. He reached with his hand, pulling the man's t-shirt up, revealing his fair chest.

"If you won't like it, we can always stop," he informed Sasuke in a warm voice, kissing his way down the brunette's flat stomach. Sasuke moved his legs, squeezing Naruto's sides between his firm thighs.

"I am fully aware of it," he hissed. "Now continue before I'll change my mind," he added. The blonde sent him a warm smile, resting his chin on Sasuke's crotch. He could feel that the man was already hard. Hell, he could  _smell_  it. He unbuckled the belt, and unzipped the fly, feeling as if he was unpacking a gift. Sasuke sighed as Naruto pulled down his pants, resting his legs on the blonde's shoulders. His ankles were almost painfully bony.

"What's the big deal with having sex in socks?" Naruto questioned. Sasuke made a disappointed face. It seemed that he ruined the mood. "Well, yours look ridiculous. Like, how do you even keep them this white-"

"Take them off and go back to whatever you were doing," Sasuke snapped. "I'm not giving you any washing tips  _now_ -"

"So there  _is_  a secret," Naruto gasped. The brunette glared at him in disbelief. Then he facepalmed, swiftly moving into rubbing his forehead with straightened fingers as if he was trying to convince himself that this conversation didn't take place. "I'm totally asking you about it later," Naruto decided. Sasuke's ankles got suspiciously close to Naruto's neck. "You're not planning to choke me with your feet, are you-"

Sasuke wasn't trying to choke him. He did however force him to fall down face first into his crotch. If Naruto wasn't thoughtful, he would be probably squirming in pain. The blonde raised his eyes at Sasuke, who embraced his head with thighs, covering Naruto's ears. "Get back to work," he ordered. His voice sounded muffled.

The blonde grinned at him, caressing his sides, and smooching one of his thighs. At last, Sasuke freed him, apparently thinking that the goofiness was over. His clothed dick was poking Naruto's neck. The blonde wouldn't had thought he would be craving cocks. Especially this much. But he had to admit that Sasuke was, objectively speaking, attractive. No wonder girls were all over him.

Naruto moved forward to suck on one of his nipples, simultaneously taking off his own shirt. Sasuke shifted underneath him, so he sent him a questioning look. It seemed that everything was in order. Naruto tossed his shirt away, and returned to kissing Sasuke's chest. While the skin on his hands was somewhat rough in touch, the rest of his body was coated in almost inhumanly soft one. And Sasuke had a quite sensitive neck although Naruto was certain he would never admit that. The blonde brushed his lips against it, breathing in Sasuke's scent. He smiled, seeing slowly appearing goose bumps.

"I like being this close to you," he confessed in a husky voice. The brunette let out a soft sigh. Naruto unbuttoned his jeans, suppressing a laugh when Sasuke practically kicked them off him. He embraced the warm body lying underneath him, grinding against Sasuke's crotch. It felt good even if it was completely different from what they were doing before. It was slower and more tender. Naruto was guessing that if he was to taunt Sasuke now, when it was rather obvious that the position made him feel vulnerable, he wouldn't respond positively to it. The blonde didn't want to make his lover think that he had to fight him.

Their clothed dicks were rubbing against one another as Naruto kissed his boyfriend, savoring the minty taste. He gasped in surprise when he felt a piece of chewing gum being shoved into his mouth. He broke the kiss, and backed off a little bit, staring at Sasuke, who was visibly trying to stop himself from laughing. Naruto snorted, chewing on the gum, and blowing a small balloon out of it. Sasuke smiled at him, leaning forward and biting it, making it burst. "You're a total dork," Naruto snickered, swallowing the gum. It wasn't the healthiest thing to do but he was certain his stomach could take it. And he didn't want to waste time on getting rid of it in any other way.

"So, are we just going to stop at petting or what?" Sasuke inquired in a teasing tone. Naruto scoffed at him. It felt good. He generally liked foreplay. The brunette raised his arm, brushing blond bangs from Naruto's eyes. His hand then proceeded to caress his head, combing through his hair. His other hand landed on Naruto's back, feeling it with its long fingers. Naruto was almost certain that Sasuke was a huge fan of his behind. He had caught some glances.

"No, we're not," Naruto assured him. "I just want to take my time, I mean, this feels pretty good," he confessed. He grabbed Sasuke's hips, and lifted them, so he could dry hump him. To his surprise, Sasuke moaned. Naruto quickened his moves, watching in awe the blush creeping on the brunette's cheeks. He moved his hands to Sasuke's ass, kneading it. His lover's breaths became heavier, ragged. It was quite obvious that he actually enjoyed being immobile. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as a pale hand grabbed his, and positioned it around Sasuke's throat. "Um, are you sure about that?" he asked, gently tightening his grip. Sasuke nodded frantically, arching his back.

"Naruto," he panted, simultaneously trying to take off his socks without using hands, "do you think you could do me raw?" he questioned. The blonde gawked at him.

"Yeah, I don't think it's such a good idea," he deadpanned. "I mean, I'm trying to pleasure you here, and you basically want me to hurt you-"

"It's the same thing," Sasuke rasped, bending under Naruto. "At least take me without any foreplay," he pleaded. The blonde blinked. For someone, who was so adamant about not being fucked, Sasuke sure used curious expressions. Naruto sighed, reaching for the lube. They would need to buy a new one soon. He took off their underpants, and tossed them off the bed. Then he put on a condom, and coated his shaft with lube, feeling rather uneasy. He didn't want to hurt Sasuke, and he really hoped that the man knew what he was asking for.

"Like, you know, if it's too much-"

"I'm really good at saying  _no_ , Naruto," Sasuke chuckled. "Just trust me," he whispered. The blonde gulped, positioning himself between Sasuke's legs, and smearing some lube around his anus. The brunette quietly groaned as the tip of Naruto's cock slowly entered him. He was tight - incredibly tight. And there was much more friction. "I need your hand on my throat," Sasuke said. It was almost ridiculous how demanding he sounded while asking for being abused.

Naruto obeyed him, his fingers digging into the flesh of his neck, his cock slowly pushing forward. It was strangely arousing. And it probably shouldn't be. He sucked in a breath, feeling his muscles tensing. With every millimeter, Sasuke's face looked more and more strained. His dick was poking Naruto's stomach, leaking with precum, pulsating. His butthole was clenching, massaging the blonde's length. Naruto cupped one of Sasuke's butt cheeks, giving it a rough squeeze. Sasuke welcomed the approach, moaning as if he was in heat. "Harder," he begged.

Naruto bit his bottom lip, gently thrusting. Sasuke gasped, grasping sheet. His thighs were pressed against the blonde's sides, squeezing him with every move. Naruto lowered his head, kissing the brunette on his trembling lips. His grip around the man's neck tightened, and he pushed harder, shoving half of his dick inside. Sasuke's eyes, half lidded, darkened - as if it was even possible. Naruto let go of the pale butt cheek, and reached for more lube. Going on without it probably would be just asking for an injury. Sasuke grunted in dissatisfaction as the cold liquid touched his puckered hole.

The blonde continued moving slowly, resting his weight on a straightened arm to not hurt Sasuke's neck. Sasuke threw his arms above his head, connecting them as if he was tied. Naruto lowered himself, smooching his heated cheek, and gently nipping on his jaw. The brunette was moaning quietly, his eyes closed shut. That was a novelty. Before, it seemed that he really enjoyed watching. Now, Naruto felt slightly disconnected.

"Do you want me to be rough with you?" he asked in a hushed voice. Sasuke opened his eyes, gazing at the blonde in a mocking manner.

"Haven't I made it obvious already?" he replied with a question, stretching his upper body, the muscles in his arms twitching.

Naruto hummed under his nose. Well, he hoped for a love-making session, but he could be rough. He backed out, removing his dick from Sasuke, who looked rather unhappy about the development. A smug smirk appeared on his face as Naruto forced him to turn on his stomach, grabbed his hair, and shoved his head into the mattress, keeping it in place with force. The blonde used his other hand to spread his ass cheeks apart, and entered Sasuke again, kneeling above him. This way, he couldn't thrust in completely, and that was probably for the best. Especially since he wasn't exactly missing out on anything, Sasuke's ass provided enough friction to make anyone go crazy with lust. The man grasped the sheet, his back tense, the white snake dancing between his shoulder blades. Naruto smiled to himself, quickening and deepening his thrusts.

It felt oddly satisfying to have Sasuke trust him this much. Naruto was certain that  _this_  was something that was going to stay just between the two of them, that this submissive side of Sasuke was just for him to see.

A black eye was boring into his, unfocused and shifty. And Naruto could swear that Sasuke was drooling. "Choke me," the man pleaded in a quiet whimper. The blonde listened to him, his hand embracing the man's neck hard enough to cause him some pain but, simultaneously, gently enough to not obstruct his breathing. That was probably the best compromise. Sasuke was groaning into the mattress, almost choking on his moans. "Fuck, I'm going to cum before you again," he snorted. Naruto smiled at him. He didn't mind it. Sasuke's butthole was spasming around him, hot, sleek and tight. He pulled black hair, forcing the brunette to let out a pleasured noise. " _Fuck_ ," he groaned into the pillow, his body tense, almost steel hard, his anus squeezing Naruto's cock.

The blonde smiled at him, letting go of his neck and hair, backing out, and turning the brunette back. His penis was partially soft already, his stomach and thigh glistening from sperm.

"You can continue, you know," Sasuke whispered, spreading his long legs apart. His hair was a complete mess, his face relaxed, his breaths heavy. He looked really beautiful.

Naruto leaned forward, planting a shy kiss on his nose, and entering him again. To his surprise, the brunette pulled him closer, embracing him. His movement was obstructed but he welcomed it. It seemed that Sasuke's post-orgasm cuddliness corresponded quite well with his own needs. He rested his head on the other male's shoulder, groping his back, feeling his spine and kneading his ass. They probably couldn't get closer. Sasuke kissed him, moaning softly, his tongue swirling around his own. It was just like Naruto imagined it. Warm, soft and tender.

"I like you a lot," he whispered into the other man's mouth. Sasuke embraced him even tighter, tilting his head backwards. It seemed that he was still enjoying himself.

"It's not so bad with you," Sasuke replied. Naruto fought the want to roll his eyes at the comment, snickering.

He lifted the brunette's ass to enter him deeper, his thrusts full. His cock was throbbing inside of Sasuke, his scrotum already tightened. The brunette was gently swaying his hips, keeping a calm, steady pace. He wasn't as heated as before, he almost looked soft. Naruto sucked on the man's neck, leaving a faint hickey. He didn't remember when was the last time he felt this much at peace with himself and the world around him. His musings were cut short by Sasuke's moan. Naruto looked up at his lover, studying his face. He knew that expression but he had never seen Sasuke sport one. His eyes were blurry, unfocused, his jaw loose, mouth open. Naruto smiled to himself, noting that the brunette's dick was dripping with cum. Whatever it was, he looked as if he was about to climax again.

The blonde refrained himself from moving faster, watching in awe as Sasuke's cheeks tensed. The man stopped breathing for a short moment, pulling Naruto even closer, his muscles twitching. He looked as if he was screaming but there was no sound. Naruto groaned, riding himself to his own orgasm, his head buried in the indentation of Sasuke's neck, his arms embracing his lover's moist body. His mind went blank as he came inside of Sasuke, his body went limp. He panted heavily, removing his hands from under the brunette, and lying on him, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.

"Did you come twice?" he asked quietly when he regained the ability to speak. It seemed that Sasuke was still flying high because he didn't say anything, merely nodding.

"I didn't know I could do that," the man whispered ten minutes later, finally moving his arm from Naruto's back, his hand ruffling the blond mop. Naruto raised his head to grin at him.

"For a short moment there I thought you were pissing yourself," he snorted. Sasuke deadpanned at him. "Seriously, my stomach just suddenly got wet, what was I supposed to think?" he laughed. "And I was like, holy shit, you really do try to cover me with each and every one of your bodily fluids, like, you're  _really_  determined to do it," he mused.

"I've just had the best orgasm of my life, and you..." Sasuke started in a tired voice. Then he sighed. Twice. "Whatever," he decided, relaxing his body. "That felt really good-"

"It's a shame that it's your turn to top now," Naruto murmured in a teasing voice. "See, I'm better than you," he whispered, smooching his suddenly grumpy boyfriend.

"As if," Sasuke huffed in annoyance. "You've just got lucky," he stated in a firm voice. "I'll have you squirm like a bitch in a heat-"

" _Sure_ ," Naruto chortled. The brunette smacked him on the head. "Why did you shoot all these kids, Sasuke?" he laughed, remembering their failed match. "Now we're banned from coming there-"

"You were the first one to shoot one of your own," the brunette muttered.

"Well, yeah, but then you went a little bit overboard," Naruto mused. "Like, did you have to shoot them  _all_?"

"I thought we've changed teams," Sasuke mumbled out, his cheeks pink. Naruto howled, bursting out laughing.

When he and Sasuke reached the laser tag arena, they learned that their opponents were a bunch of kids. So they decided that to keep it fair, they would be in opposing teams. During the game, Sasuke wanted to sneak up on Naruto, probably to humiliate him by shooting him from extremely close distance. But Naruto noticed him seconds before he poked him in the arm with his gun. He also saw a kid from his team, who was about to shoot Sasuke. And Naruto still had no idea why he did it but he shoot the poor girl. Sasuke got confused by that, and shoot one of his own kids as well. And then he shoot the rest. And then his confusion grew even bigger as Naruto poked him in the back, shooting him. He had probably never felt as betrayed.

Naruto had fun. The laser tag place owner, however, was bullied by one of the kids' mothers to ban him and Sasuke from ever coming there again. It was a real shame.

"But I'm still kind of impressed that you've managed to do that, I mean, these kids were pretty fast," he consoled his partner, suppressing a chuckle. "Anakin Skywalker-"

"What did I say about Star Wars references?" Sasuke muttered. He was visibly struggling to keep a stern face.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to push you into lava," Naruto promised. Sasuke glared at him. Then he cupped the back of the blonde's head with his linked hands, and forced him to hide his face in Sasuke's shoulder. "You know you like me," Naruto chirped. "You shot all these kids for me," he snorted.

"People should be thinking that  _I_  was the one who got bullied into dating  _you_ ," he sighed.

"Oh, come on, I'm lovable," the blonde whined. "Why did you have to cum this much?" he complained. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you and all that jazz but I'm still wet. What is that stuff anyways?"

"It's cum," Sasuke replied, rubbing his forehead. "You've milked me," he explained. Naruto gawked at him. That didn't make much sense. "I'll show you later," the man promised. "I still can't see why people think I've bullied you into anything-"

"Don't worry about it," the blonde interrupted his lover. "I'm going to talk to them tomorrow," he said. "And then Iruka's going to meet you. I have no idea what to expect. Like, he's never said anything homophobic so I should be fine but I'm pretty certain that he thinks he adopted a straight kid," Naruto stated. He still felt rather insecure about his family situation. Even after all these years. "No backsies," he tried to joke. Sasuke embraced him tighter, playing with Naruto's hair.

"Do you  _really_  want to do it?" the brunette asked. Naruto nodded frantically. It was more of a  _have to_  than a  _want to_  for him. "It's going to be fine," Sasuke stated. "And if it won't, you'll have me," he added, as if he was saying something obvious.

Naruto gazed at him, feeling his face getting hotter. Then he hugged Sasuke even harder, burying his nose in the man's arm. His heart was beating faster, and he could swear he felt butterflies in his stomach. As if bugs could survive in a stomach. His eyes got slightly watery, and he blinked the random tears away. Sasuke either pretended he didn't notice or he really didn't care about Naruto acting weird. Whichever it was, Naruto was grateful because he was certain he had just fallen for Sasuke even harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all - next few chapters will be smut-free. Yay. Or not yay. I don't know :D
> 
> Second of all - the updates will be more irregular now. I'm on some meds thanks to which I'm able to sleep, so that means no more writing during the night. Plus, my attention span got much shorter. So now I not only have less time to write but it's also more difficult for me. Yay? Not yay? I don't know.
> 
> Third of all - I've said this fic will be +/- 20 chapters long. Well, as you can probably see, it will be closer to 25+ chapters long. SORRY.
> 
> Fourth of all - thank you for your continous support! It means a lot to me :)
> 
> Fifth of all - there's no secret, you just have to use bleach to keep your socks white ;)


	20. Chapter 20

The blonde inhaled deeply, staring at Sakura, who was sitting with her arms crossed with a don't-try-to-bullshit-me expression.

"So, as you already know, I was with Hinata, and now I'm with Sasuke," he started uncertainly. He had no idea how much Hinata had said about Sasuke's past. And what exactly she had said. He still didn't feel as if talking about it with anyone but Sasuke was something he was supposed to do. "And...what did she tell you about him? Because it's not entirely true-"

"He has a criminal record," Sakura stated. Naruto nodded. "He has beaten up some people when he was still in high school. It got him thrown out," she continued. Naruto shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know much about this. "His parents died in a fire, and neither he nor his brother got anything from the insurance company, apparently the fire wasn't an accident-"

"It wasn't an _unavoidable_ accident," Naruto corrected her. She didn't seem fazed by that.

"Anyways, it seems that he should be in jail but his brother is a lawyer, and, as it turns out, he's a pretty good one," she said.

"Sasuke wasn't even _there_ when the fire happened," Naruto replied. "You see, this is all in wrong order. First his parents died, _then_ he started acting out, and when he was still in high school, his brother wasn't yet a lawyer, so it just wasn't anything serious," he explained. He wasn't exactly certain about it but that was what he gathered from the bits and pieces of information Sasuke was willing to share with him. "His record is sealed because he wasn't an adult when he had done all of that. And yeah, he had some other fights after that but it seems that it was all self-defense on his part-"

"Naruto, it might have been deemed self-defense by the court but you have to admit that he did taunt Neji. And he had probably done the same with the others. He just _likes_ it, and he's being more careful now," Sakura pointed out. Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck. That was probable. Sasuke didn't look as if he was bothered by being hit, he seemed almost _happy_. The blonde sighed. He would need to somehow persuade his boyfriend to sign up for some martial arts classes. Maybe then he would satisfy his needs in a more fitting environment.

"Sakura, he might have said some nasty things but I doubt he did that to get hit," Naruto replied. "He didn't expect that, all right?"

Well, this much was true. After the first blow, however, Sasuke did look as if he was hoping for more. The blonde sighed. Sasuke was never violent with him - not physically violent at least. And Naruto didn't mind their arguments. Sasuke could probably get much more cruel with him if he wanted to, and right now Naruto also knew what he would need to say to hurt him. But they had never crossed some lines, and the blonde had to admit that their fights weren't as ugly as they could be. Probably because they both knew that saying some things would ruin them. Sasuke had never made fun of Naruto for his family situation, and Naruto was returning the favor. The man was also more than supportive when it came to Naruto not being straight. With all his social inaptness, one would expect him to say more than he planned to but he had never done so.

"Then how do you explain the state Neji was in afterwards?" Sakura questioned.

"Well..." he started awkwardly. "Sasuke looked just as bad. And you know Neji, he's not exactly a cuddly type," he mumbled. "I had a fight with him as well, and you don't see me as some bully-"

"Ah, yes," she exclaimed. "That fight. You fought him because he wouldn't stop treating Hinata like shit."

"What of it?" Naruto asked. Sakura was being pretty hypocritical. She had already forgiven Neji for being an asshole, just like they _all_ did - and that was a quite questionable choice - but she couldn't grasp that Sasuke wasn't a dick Hinata made him out to be. "I didn't do it just for her," he said. "I mean... I kind of _did_ but, you know, I would've done it for _anyone_."

"But you had to know that on that day you've basically became her knight in shining armor," the woman grunted. "And she's confessed to you _twice_ ," she added.

"What?" Naruto gawked at her. "She's asked me out once, and I've told her-"

"You've told her _maybe_ ," Sakura interrupted him. "You were acting like a total jackass," she decided. "I was _so_ fucking happy for her when you've finally started dating her. But now you're saying that you did that because of that guy," she hissed.

"Well, yeah, I guess I was a douchebag," the blonde stated. He still felt guilty about the whole thing. He should had listened to Sasuke. It would be best both for them and for Hinata. "But you have to understand that I've panicked, like, can you imagine someone following you _all_ the time?" he questioned. "She even knows when my shifts at work are. She knows where my biological parents' graves are, she saw me going there, and I've never been there with anyone. That was _my_ place. I mean, well, all right, it's a public cemetery but-"

"Maybe her relatives are buried there as well," Sakura suggested. She seemed a little bit uneasy.

"I doubt that," Naruto grunted. "Neji told me their whole family is buried where his dad is. And that's the other side of the town," he explained.

"Um, well, okay that's somehow problematic," Sakura agreed, rubbing her forehead. Naruto had always liked it. It was pretty big but it was quite charming. He generally liked people's flaws. They were what gave them character, otherwise they would be like plastic dolls. Perfect and dull. "But _stalking_? Isn't this going a little bit too far?"

"After I broke up with her, she kept coming to my work - and you know that she doesn't really drink - and she's been talking to my boss and Konan, and they thought we were still together," Naruto confessed. "Plus, you know, she spied on Sasuke. You have to give him a break, if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be involved in this mess."

Sakura hummed under her nose, visibly considering what he had said. Naruto tapped his fingers on his knee, feeling nervous. "So he didn't bully you into anything?" she asked. The blonde nodded. "All right," she stated, still deep in thought. "I guess I'm sorry then?" she tried. She sucked at apologizing but at least she did try to make an effort. "I've jumped into conclusions," she added, leaning backwards to lie on Naruto's bed. "Well, I hope it turns out okay for you," she continued. "What do you want to do about Hinata?" she inquired.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. Like, it can't go on like that but she's not doing it out of spite, and I'm pretty lost. I know what to do when someone's _trying_ to be mean but she's not doing that. And I've talked with her so many times, and it brought nothing," he complained. "Plus, I'm the only one to blame-"

"You _are_ to blame," Sakura agreed. "But it really can't go on like this," she declared. "I'll try talking to her. I think she might need some help, this can't be normal," she offered. Naruto lay next to her. She was more relaxed now. He studied her face. He still liked her a lot but he wasn't pining for her anymore. Perhaps he really stopped crushing on her. "Does anyone else know?" she asked, practical as always.

"Neji," Naruto answered. "He's offered to help but... Well, I hoped she would just let it go," he blurted out.

"You're pretty insensitive," she mused. "She's in love with you. You know that, right?"

"I guess," the blonde admitted. It just made him feel guiltier. "When I was still with her, I've tried being a good boyfriend," he said. "I sucked at it but I really did try. But she didn't want to talk to me about anything I wouldn't like, and she was always stressed... Even if there was no Sasuke, I would've still broken up with her," he confessed. "Although it did happen faster because of him," he whispered. "On the other hand, I wouldn't have been with her if it wasn't for him, so..."

"Take some responsibility, Naruto," Sakura lectured him. "You've screwed up."

"Yeah," the blonde agreed. "So...are we fine?"

"We are," she assured him. "So, how is sex?" she asked after a longer while, her cheeks flushed. Naruto blinked at her, feeling his own face getting pink as well. "Who's doing whom?" she inquired.

"We switch," he confessed in a broken whisper. "And it's, like, good," he added, replying to her first question. Sakura rolled on her stomach, watching him intently.

"You're blushing," she giggled. "So, if you switch, then did you already, um," she paused, probably looking for a proper word, "I don't know how to say it," she whined, "but were you already on the receiving end?" Naruto nodded, and she squealed in delight. "Oh my god, so, how does it feel?"

"Good," he grunted, hiding his face in the cushion.

"Don't be like this," she complained. "I've told you everything there was to tell about periods-"

"At first it feels as if you had to go to bathroom real quick," he said. "But then it gets better," he added, hearing her laugh. "It's actually more pleasant than topping," he mumbled out. "At least for me. And for Sasuke. We're kind of fighting about it-"

"Pffft," she snorted. Naruto shot her a hurt stare, and she pursed her lips, visibly suppressing a chuckle. "Oh, come on, it's funny," she said, poking his forehead. "So, now that you're gay-"

"I'm not gay," Naruto grunted. "Sasuke's gay. I'm bi. Probably. I have no idea, to be honest-"

"I just wanted to ask if you'd go clothes shopping with me," she laughed. Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "You're supposed to have a superior fashion sense now-"

"I guess my super gay powers haven't arrived yet," he retorted, getting agitated. "Seriously, Sakura, nothing's changed," he grunted.

"You're quite irritable," she mused.

"And you're an asshole," he blurted out. "Sorry," he said hastily, realizing what he had said.

"No, don't be," she replied. "I'm sorry, I guess I've said something wrong," she whispered, resting her head on the cushion. "You should've said something about Hinata earlier," she stated, changing the subject. "But I'll try talking to her, maybe find some specialist for her. I guess it would be better if I was the one to do it."

"Maybe," he agreed.

"Oh my god, Naruto," Sakura suddenly exclaimed. "Remember when you thought Haku was a girl, and you were crushing on him?" she asked. The blonde made an affirmative noise. He didn't want to talk about that. Quite a number of people was teasing him because of it. His friends were among them. Only Lee said that Haku looked very _youthful_. Whatever that was supposed to mean. "If you are... Not straight, as you've said it," she started uncertainly, "...then, um, did you still like him _after_ you've learned he was, well, a he?" she asked. Naruto nodded, staring at her. She looked embarrassed. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It doesn't matter now," he replied, trying to brush it off. He felt pretty hurt because of it, and he did appreciate the fact that Sakura apologized to him but it was already too late. "I was a coward," he added.

"No, we were just being dicks," she protested, hugging Naruto. "You would've been a really cute couple-"

"He's probably straight anyways," the blonde objected. "And it's all in the past, I'm with Sasuke now-"

"Well, yeah but what we've done was terrible," she said. Naruto stared at her. It wasn't as if he hadn't been trying to laugh at their jokes, pretending that liking Haku was the biggest mistake of his life. He wondered if everything would had went differently if they weren't mocking him. It was possible. But then there was a chance that he wouldn't had gotten together with Sasuke. If he knew he wasn't straight, he would had probably tried to flirt with him right off the bat, and Sasuke seemed rather uninterested in it. Or he would still be with Haku.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," he replied. "Like I've said, I'm with Sasuke now, and it's fine," he stated. She nodded, her hand caressing his back. "Thanks," he said after a longer while. His friends weren't perfect, and they had their fair share of screw-ups but he still loved them.

* * *

Naruto smiled to himself, glancing at Sasuke, who was napping, his head resting on Naruto's shoulder. The train was swiftly moving forward. It was pretty cold in there, though. The blonde pulled out his scarf from the sleeve of his jacket - the one knitted for him by Hinata - and, after a short hesitation, unbundled it, and used it to partially cover his boyfriend. One of the other passengers glared at them but Naruto decided to ignore it. He couldn't please everyone.

He was really grateful that Sasuke agreed to come with him. The man had to be exhausted after the last day - he had been working for Orochimaru, and came home late at night. And then he had to wake up early to catch the train to Naruto's hometown. There were dark circles around his eyes. And he had complained that he didn't finish his homework. The blonde moved closer to him, enjoying his body warmth. Sasuke was probably overworking himself. And, if what he had said was true, he was already done with the second chapter of his MA thesis. Naruto had barely started writing his.

The blonde turned to the window, and, upon recognizing the landscape, gently shook his boyfriend. "We're almost there," he informed him. Sasuke raised his head, stretching his arms. Naruto combed the other male's hair with his fingers, trying to get rid of a particularly nasty cow lick. It didn't work. "Your hair is a mess," he snorted. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not trying to seduce your adoptive father," he replied. The blonde rolled his eyes. He had no idea why Sasuke insisted on being this formal.

"My dad," he corrected the brunette.

"Fine," Sasuke relented. "Your dad. I'm still not trying to seduce him. And I'm pretty certain you don't really mind my hair being a mess," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Does he know I'm coming?"

"Sort of," Naruto answered. "I've told him that you're coming with me but I kind of just used your name, and didn't say we're dating," he explained. "And I bring friends all the time, so... I guess he's not expecting anything-"

"So when do you plan to do it?" he asked.

"When I'll introduce you to each other," Naruto replied. "I feel sick, like, I think I might throw up," he complained. Sasuke snickered at that. Other passengers looked terrified. "I swear, I'll probably barf when he'll open the doors. And then I'll pass out."

"Sounds like a plan," Sasuke said. Naruto grinned at the brunette, getting up from his seat. He hoped everything would end well.

* * *

"Hi dad, this is Sasuke, we are dating," the blonde blurted out in one breath. Sasuke stared at his boyfriend. He really did look as if he was about to throw up and pass out. Probably the only reason why he didn't was that his body couldn't decide which one of these actions was more fitting. Naruto's adoptive father, a brunette in his mid forties, was eying the blonde as if he saw him for the first time in his life. That wasn't a good sign. Then the man's face softened, and he smiled. Sasuke breathed out, not even aware that he had been holding air.

"Hi, Sasuke," the man greeted him, and Sasuke replied with the same. They shook their hands awkwardly. It felt ridiculous. Sasuke had no idea when was the last time he had met someone's parents. "You're very handsome," the man added, inviting them inside. Naruto's sweaty hand squeezed Sasuke's. The blonde was probably still panicking, not aware that it was already over. Sasuke thanked Iruka for the compliment, handing him a bottle of sake. "I'm not drinking but thank you for the thought," the man said. "So, Naruto, are you coming in or not?"

"Yeah, Naruto, are we going to come in?" Sasuke teased his boyfriend, who was still staring at his adoptive father as if he was a unicorn.

"Sure," the blonde mumbled out. They finally went inside. Sasuke looked around. It was a rather small house but it was pretty cozy. And it smelled of food in there. They went to the kitchen, and Iruka handed them plates with a suspiciously looking soup.

"How long are you two together?" the man inquired. Sasuke glanced at the blonde, who still looked terrified.

"Just a couple of days," he replied in Naruto's stead. Iruka looked pleasantly surprised. "He's usually more talkative," Sasuke added after a longer while. They were sitting in an awkward silence. Sasuke cleared his throat, and decided to at least try eating the soup. He put a spoonful of a brownish liquid into his mouth. It didn't taste amazingly bad, so he swallowed it. "It's really good," he complimented the dish, which probably aimed to be a fish soup.

"Thank you," the man replied with a smile plastered to his face. Sasuke started to wonder whether it wasn't just a facade. He glanced at Naruto, who looked pretty brain-dead at the moment. "How did you two meet?"

"I used to live with Neji," Sasuke answered. "So we've met at a party-"

"We're actually studying together but Sasuke had no idea about it until he saw me at the party," the blonde chimed in. Sasuke sighed in relief. "Then he threw up on me. And then he thought I was stalking him," Naruto blurted out, and Sasuke started missing him not talking. "Then I was with Hinata, and now I'm with Sasuke," he added, practically spitting out words.

"I see," Iruka mumbled out, clearly shocked.

"And you don't hate me," Naruto whispered. Sasuke cleared his throat, feeling as if he shouldn't even be there. The blonde finally let go of his hand. Sasuke wiped it into his pants, wondering whether he shouldn't ask where the bathroom was and disappear for the rest of the evening.

"Of course I don't," the man stated. Now they both looked as if they were about to cry.

"I'm going to leave you alone," Sasuke said, getting up.

None of them protested, so the brunette ascended the stairs, deciding to find Naruto's room and stay there until they would resolve their issues. They didn't need an intruder. He looked around the corridor. All the doors looked the same. He opened the first ones, finding some kind of a study. It seemed that Iruka was a pretty dedicated teacher, and that kids liked him. There were some drawings pinned to the cork board above the desk. He closed the doors, and opened the next ones.

The room was clean but the walls and the doors were covered in posters of pop bands and some women in underwear. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and entered the room, lying on the bed. It didn't smell of Naruto but like detergents. He rolled on his back, eying the ceiling. A bunch of photos was glued to it. Some of the people he even recognized. It seemed that Naruto was pretty popular. The brunette sighed, spotting Hinata. It seemed that there was no escape from her.

* * *

Naruto entered his room, smiling upon seeing sleeping Sasuke. He sat next to the man, caressing his back. He and Iruka had a pretty emotional talk, and they both ended up crying their eyes out. Naruto had no idea when was the last time he had been called son this many times in a row.

"Hey," Sasuke grunted, letting him know he wasn't asleep anymore.

"You must be starving," Naruto said. "I brought you soup-"

"I'm not this hungry," the brunette replied, turning on his back. "Your face is all red," he noticed. Naruto pouted at the man. "It is," Sasuke stated in an unapologetic tone. "You must really like Yukie Fujikaze," he snorted.

"She's a very skilled actress," the blonde huffed. He did have at least four posters of her.

"I bet you don't mind the fact that she's also young and pretty," Sasuke teased him. "I would've said you were jacking off to her but then there are all these people watching you," he mused, pointing to the ceiling. "I guess it's pretty distracting-"

"You were much nicer when Iruka was around," the blonde chuckled, resting his head on Sasuke's stomach. He studied the photos on the ceiling. He hadn't been in touch with some of the people on them for quite some time. "He thinks you're a well-behaved kid," Naruto said. "I swear, he'll never stop calling me and my friends kids," he murmured. "When he was my age, I was already one year old."

"He seems like a nice guy," Sasuke replied.

"Yeah, he should have someone. I think that the only reason he doesn't is because he has been too busy with work and me, and now he's completely out of his game," Naruto whispered.

"Or maybe he's simply not interested," the man suggested, his hand patting the blonde's arm.

"He wants to get to know you," Naruto informed his boyfriend. He felt quite anxious about it. There was a lot of questions Sasuke wouldn't want to be asked, and almost all of them were the ones that parents would usually ask. "But you don't have to do it, I can just say that you're busy and need to come back or something," he offered. "So no pressure-"

"I didn't come here to sit in in your room," the brunette interrupted Naruto. "If he wants to get to know me, then so be it," he decided.

* * *

"So, what do your parents do for a living?" Iruka questioned in a happy voice. Naruto's eyes widened in utter terror, and the man tried to gesture his guardian to change the topic. Sasuke sighed. Now it looked as if there was something wrong with their jobs.

"They're dead," he replied. An awkward silence fell upon them. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"I see," the man whispered. "I'm sorry, my son should've informed me about this earlier," he stated in an accusing tone. Sasuke mentally agreed. He believed that Naruto had thought about doing it. It seemed like the obvious thing to do. "Then... What do you do for a living?"

"Right now I'm a translator but I also have a degree in economics," he informed the older man.

"What?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. They had never really talked about it. It didn't matter, though. "You never tell me anything," the blonde whined.

"You didn't ask," Sasuke pointed out. Iruka smiled at them.

"I have no idea how you're able to keep up with my son," the man whispered. "But maybe it's good that you're this composed, your personalities compliment one another," he mused. Sasuke wanted to nod his head in agreement but he was interrupted by Naruto's laugh. He frowned at the blonde, mentally ushering him to shut up. He _was_ trying to act nice but he wouldn't be able to do that if Naruto kept on distracting him. "What's so funny?" Iruka questioned.

" _Composed_ is literally the last word I would've used to describe Sasuke," Naruto snickered.

"I would've used moron as the first one to describe _you_ ," Sasuke scoffed.

"See, he's a total hothead," the blonde chuckled. "And Sasuke, I've told you to be nice to Iruka, not to act like a robot," he laughed. "I'm a translator but I also have a degree in economics," he said, making it sound artificial. Sasuke glared daggers at the man, hoping that one day his eyes would develop an ability to shut him up on sight. Iruka covered his mouth with a hand, visibly suppressing a chuckle. They were both insane. "Look, he's already annoyed," Naruto mused, a warm smile lingering on his face.

"Naruto doesn't like _Marley_ _and_ _Me_ ," Sasuke snapped. The blonde shot him a betrayed stare, kicking him under the table. "And it's such a heartwarming movie-"

"It is," Iruka agreed enthusiastically. "And Naruto, I thought you _love_ it," he added, sounding hurt. Sasuke smirked at his boyfriend who had just mouthed 'traitor' at him.

"I do," he replied, forcing a grin on his face. One of his feet tried to crush Sasuke's.

"We should watch it," the brunette suggested to Iruka's great delight, a pleasant smile glued to his face. "I can't remember when was the last time I've seen it-"

"I'm sure we have better things to do," Naruto gritted through his teeth.

"Naruto, Sasuke's our guest," Iruka protested. Sasuke nodded fiercely, refraining himself from repeating that line. His boyfriend got up from his seat, giving him an evil eye and mumbling something under his nose. Sasuke put a triumphant smile on his face. At least he was able to get back on moron.

Half an hour later Sasuke realized that it backfired. Severely. Now he had to sit through the movie as well. And, if he really planned to pretend that he did like it, he was supposed to laugh at poorly executed slapstick comedy. What was worse, it seemed that Iruka was already grieving the death of the dog, his eyes welled up with tears. He was sitting on the other end of the couch, leaning forward, apparently too engulfed in the film to pay any attention to his adoptive son, who was rolling his eyes every ten seconds.

" _Du bist ein_ _Arschloch_ ," Naruto grunted in a hushed tone. "Du _weißt, ich hasse diesen Hund_ ," he added.

" _Mach dir keine Sorgen, er wird sterben_ ," Sasuke replied. " _Verzeihung, bitte,_ " he whispered after a longer while. He had to admit that he had been an asshole. The blonde turned his head to him, looking confused. Sasuke smiled at the man, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder. "You could use some more tutoring," he mused. He watched the dog destroy yet another thing. He promised himself to never get one.

"I'm just going to ask Neji to tutor me," Naruto barked back. Iruka turned his head at him, gesturing him to be quieter. "And I'm going to embarrass you in front of your aunt," the blonde threatened Sasuke almost inaudibly. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. He would have to try really hard to do that. His aunt had infinite patience. What was more, the threat seemed rather empty. The brunette doubted that Naruto would pass on an opportunity to impress her with his boy scout manners. "And I'm going to tell your brother you had a fight with Neji. I bet he doesn't know about this-"

"Don't," Sasuke interrupted the blonde. "And don't tell him about Orochimaru. And about me being wasted." Naruto smirked nastily, cocking one blue eye at him. Sasuke sighed. "I mean it. He'd just get worried-"

"Fine," the blonde relented. "I'm not going to get you in any trouble," he promised. "Like, you know me, I wouldn't act like a dick _on purpose_ ," he said. Sasuke frowned at him, deciding to ignore the obvious taunt, and focus on the movie instead. They would have to return home immediately after it would be over. And that meant going back to their drama, for better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Verzeihung, bitte - it's a rather formal way of apologizing, lit. "forgiveness, please"


	21. Chapter 21

Sasuke blinked, taking in the sight. Processing it was pretty difficult. He dropped his bag on the floor, staring at stark naked Naruto sitting on his kitchen floor in a rather indecent pose, his legs spread apart. The blonde grinned at him brightly, apparently already used to being stared at. Sasuke gulped, feeling himself getting hard. He shouldn't even be getting hard, he had seen Naruto in much more compromising situations, and now he was just sitting, resting his back against the cupboard, holding some random mug in his hand. His hair was a golden mess, and artificial lights made the whole scene look as if it was morning, and not almost night.

"Hey bro," Sai greeted him absentmindedly.

"Do you have to do it here?" Sasuke asked, leaning against the wall. "I'm hungry-"

"If I had the money to pay for a proper work room, I wouldn't be living with you," Sai pointed out in a calm voice. "No offense," he added shortly after.

"Yeah, Sasuke, be nicer," Naruto lectured him. Sasuke eyed his boyfriend. Naked people shouldn't act this confident. Not when they were the only naked ones. "How does it look?" Naruto questioned in an excited voice. Sasuke moved behind Sai, studying the painting. Right now it was just blotches of color, and nothing could be said of it. He shrugged his shoulders, taking a chair and sitting next to his flatmate. "You're probably just being mean," Naruto whined.

"Stop yapping," Sai demanded. The blonde pouted at him. "You're distracting him," the artist complained. "Do you have any idea how much time I've wasted to get him to pose like I've wanted him to?"

"I'm in a flat I'm paying for, and I'm talking to my boyfriend," Sasuke pointed out. "I can distract him all I want-"

"Then it's going to take longer," Sai replied. "Suit yourself-"

"Fine," Sasuke relented. "Why do you even paint him?" he asked after a longer while. Naruto had already returned to modeling. This painting looked much more planned than the last one.

"Because Naruto agreed to do it," Sai answered. "It's hard to find a model willing to pose nude for free," he mused. "And he has nice eyes."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, watching his lover. He was probably too kind for his own good. The brunette looked through Sai's sketchbook to see what poses he planned for the next paintings. Then he shot a terrified stare at Naruto. The current one was artsy enough but the next ones were basically porn. He raised the sketchbook above his head to show it to him.

"Yeah, I know," the blonde dismissed his concerns. Sasuke arched an eyebrow in a mute question. "I didn't agree to _all_ of them," Naruto grunted. "Hell, I'm pretty certain I'm not physically able to do some of them-"

"Now you're just being humble," Sai chirped. "I'd gladly help you to get into them, you'd just need to stretch-"

"Yeah, I'll pass," Naruto snickered. Sasuke was almost ashamed for how relieved he felt. "It's weird enough as it is now," the blonde decided. "And if you wanted to draw my _eyes_ then I wouldn't have to be naked," he pointed out. "At least Sasuke's honest enough to admit he likes my butt," he said.

"I'm sure he does," Sai replied. "Deidara's going to be ecstatic when he'll learn what you've been doing in his bed," he mused. "Where are you going to live now, bro?" he asked. "I can't have my kin sleeping under some bridge-"

"Don't worry about me," Sasuke answered. Saying that they weren't related would be just a waste of time. Sai didn't really care about his protests. Nevertheless, Sasuke still didn't find himself a new place to stay. He found himself wanting to move in with Naruto but he had to admit that it would be way too soon. However, living in the same dorm wouldn't be a step too far. They would simultaneously be close to one another and have a way of being alone if they needed it. He had even applied for a room there but he still didn't receive any answer. And he hadn't told about it to Naruto yet.

He didn't even know what reaction he should expect. He was hoping that the man would be happy but it could theoretically put him off as well. He had no idea how close Naruto wanted to be with him. Sasuke was afraid that it wasn't nearly as much as he needed it.

* * *

Naruto frowned upon seeing Kiba approaching the bar. He should had talked to him earlier but that was pretty much impossible seeing how the man tried to avoid him at all costs or how hostile he had been. And now Sasuke was with him. Kiba probably couldn't find himself a worse moment.

"What is it?" Sasuke slurred, his finger caressing Naruto's hand in a sloppy manner. The blonde smiled at his lover. He hoped that Kiba simply wanted to order a beer. "You look tense," Sasuke teased.

"It's nothing," Naruto assured him. He put his how-may-I-serve-you grin on, and faced Kiba, who was glaring at him as if he murdered his whole family.

"You should stop with these affections," Kiba growled. "Not everyone wants to watch this." Naruto rolled his eyes at the comment. It was stupid and unneeded. Sasuke side-eyed the man. His finger dug into the palm of Naruto's hand, and the blonde squeezed it reassuringly.

"You're harassing patrons," Naruto said in a strained voice. "And this is against this pub policy. So either stop or leave-"

"Harassing my ass," Kiba snapped at him. "You've harassed a cute innocent girl, and now you're parading with that queer-"

"Hinata's not as cute as you might think," Sasuke interrupted him. He sounded pissed off. "And were you trying to offend me?"

Naruto breathed in, trying to calm himself down. He was a patient person but listening to Sasuke getting shit because of him was painful. He narrowed his eyes at Kiba. He had no idea why the man even decided to come there. Unless he was looking for trouble.

Sakura had told him that she had spoken with Hinata. The woman didn't take that too well, especially when Neji took Sakura's side. From what Naruto heard, Hinata fell apart right then and there. Now she was supposed to visit a counselor. She even had it scheduled already. It was probably for the best. Apparently, at one point she even accused their friends of plotting against her. Naruto had no idea whether being there would make matters better or worse but Sakura persuaded him that had he been there, Hinata would had thought he was secretly in love with her.

"Kiba, leave, you're not welcomed here anymore," Naruto stated in a firm voice. He couldn't really say much more - not as an employee. He would had loved to say more though. He was fine with people being angry at him but it was a totally different deal when the person being hurt was Sasuke.

"So you _were_ trying to offend me," Sasuke hissed, a menacing smirk slowly appearing on his face. Cords in his neck became visible. Naruto grabbed his hand, hoping that it would stop Sasuke from attacking the asshole.

"What, are you stupid now as well?" Kiba questioned. "Do you think I'm afraid of some fucking fairy?"

* * *

Sasuke stared at Kiba lying on the floor, trying to digest what had just happened. Then he turned his head to look at Naruto, who seemed just as surprised as Sasuke felt.

"You've hit him," Sasuke mumbled out in disbelief.

Naruto wasn't however allowed to reply to that ingenious observation for Kiba had already risen to his feet, and charged at the blonde, grasping his hair and ramming him into the bar. Other patrons were watching the whole scene, some of them recording it with their phones. Sasuke hit the asshole, shoving him away. In the meantime Naruto raised his head, blood gushing out of his nose.

"Kiba, we're leaving," Shino muttered. He didn't seem fazed by anything that had just happened.

"We're not," the man barked at his friend. "You're pretty protective of your girlfriend, I see," he mocked. Sasuke tilted his head. Kiba had a weird way of trying to offend people. Although, as the saying goes, it was the intention that counted.

"Leave Sasuke out of this," Naruto demanded. Sasuke raised his index finger, ready to inform the blonde that the one being misgendered was he but he decided to let it go. It didn't really matter.

"This is pointless," he said. Having a fight in there, when it was Naruto who dealt the first blow, wasn't such a good idea. "Listen to your friend and go, you're just embarrassing yourself. And for whom? A fucking stalker," he scoffed.

"Hinata's not a stalker," Kiba growled at him. Naruto wiped some of the blood from under his nose, and stopped the man from attacking Sasuke, squeezing his fist with his hand, his knuckles getting white.

"She is, Kiba," the blonde muttered. "So stop whatever you're trying to do, and let's have a talk-"

"Yeah, it's a little bit too late for that," Kiba growled, freeing his arm, grasping Naruto's shirt, and pulling him closer. Sasuke moved to help out his boyfriend. Then it was a blur of kicks and punches, which was terminated by police sirens.

* * *

Sasuke kneeled in front of Naruto, inspecting his nose. It didn't seem to be broken. He sighed, and rested his head in the other man's lap. The blonde buried his fingers in Sasuke's hair, gently massaging his scalp.

"I'm going to call Itachi and ask him for help," Sasuke mumbled into Naruto's leg. He wouldn't had thought that the blonde would ever get himself in trouble. He was supposed to be a boy scout. "You should've let _me_ handle it," he whined.

"No boyfriend of mine is going to be offended by some jerks," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke raised his head at the words. "Not that I plan to have any more," the blonde added in a hushed voice, his cheeks flushed.

"Why, have I ruined you for other guys?" Sasuke questioned smugly. Naruto tucked a loose strand of black hair behind the brunette's ear. "And now you'll return to dating girls only-"

"Don't be an ass, I was being romantic," Naruto snickered, his laugh nasal. Sasuke smiled at the man, embracing his waist. "And what do you mean by _'now'_? Like, do you plan to dump me because I've became a delinquent?" he mused. Sasuke shook his head, side-eying his boyfriend. His heart fluttered in his chest, and warmth pooled in his body.

"If you want to get rid if me, you'll have to dump me yourself," he assured the man. "And seeing how hopeless you are with it, I'd say we're pretty much unbreakable," he snorted. Naruto rolled his eyes at him. Sasuke reached for his cell, and searched his phone directory for Itachi's number. His brother didn't even know he had someone yet. And he probably wouldn't be delighted to learn that they needed a legal advice. "My brother isn't going to like you, though," Sasuke sighed, calling Itachi.

"Sasuke," his brother greeted him. He was audibly waiting for Sasuke to tell him what his problem was. Sasuke rubbed his forehead with straightened fingers. He should start calling Itachi for no reason. Perhaps then his brother would stop complaining that Sasuke was talking to him only when he needed something.

"I and my boyfriend are at the police station," he started. Itachi sighed.

"I can contact you with Kisame, he's a decent lawyer," he offered.

"We weren't accused of anything yet," Sasuke whined. "We were at the pub, one guy was being a dick, Naruto hit him, he hit Naruto back, then I hit him, and then it was chaos," he referred. "Are we in deep shit or not?"

"How much of a dick the guy was?" Itachi asked in a tired voice. "Sasuke, can't you find yourself someone nice?" he complained. "I thought you grew out of this, and now some guy is getting you into trouble again-"

"Naruto's _very_ nice," Sasuke protested. "And I have no idea how much of a dick the guy was but he did call me a queer and a fairy," he said. "And he had threatened us before. In front of our study group."

"I see," Itachi replied. "If you'll be accused of anything, then Kisame will help you out no problem," he stated. "May I talk to this Naruto person?" he asked. Sasuke handed the blonde his cellphone. Naruto stared at him, clearly panicking. Then he cleared his throat and put it next to his ear.

"I would never do that," the blonde almost exclaimed after a minute or so of just listening to whatever Itachi was telling him. "Of course not," he added a while later, his hands fisting into Sasuke's hair. "Yes sir," he whimpered. Sasuke cocked one eye at him. Naruto gave him back his cell, looking as if he was having a heart attack. "I think he hates me," he whispered almost inaudibly. Sasuke shook his head. His brother was quite overprotective.

"Why are you scaring Naruto?" he asked Itachi, who chuckled at him.

"He seems to be a nice kid," he replied. "I hope I'm going to meet him-"

"Yes, you will," Sasuke assured him. "But you'll have to be nicer, he thinks you hate him," he complained. Naruto glared at him, fanning his hands as if he was hoping he could turn back time and stop Sasuke from ever saying that. Itachi laughed. "My brother says he doesn't hate you," Sasuke lied with a straight face. It was probably true, though. "I have to go," he said, seeing a police officer. Itachi hung up on him, and Sasuke got up. The police officer asked for some other person. It seemed that they weren't going to be questioned for quite some time. He sighed, and sat next to Naruto. "What did he tell you?"

"He basically threatened me that if I'll ever get you into trouble, I may as well start digging my own grave to spare him work," the blonde whispered. "He didn't tell me he would kill me, of course. But he did say I will regret that for the rest of my life. And then he told me to look after you. He must really love you-"

"Shut it," Sasuke said, resting his back against a wall. "The worst thing is that the fight happened in the pub. It doesn't even matter if Kiba will or won't press any charges, it's a criminal matter-"

"You're safe, I think," Naruto interrupted him. "It was just me being an idiot," he sighed.

"I probably shouldn't say that but thanks for being an idiot," Sasuke whispered. The blonde scooted closer to him, his arm embracing Sasuke's. "Still, don't do that again," the brunette said. "Kiba's insults were pretty '90s, weren't they?" he mused, enjoying Naruto's body heat.

"So you're not upset?" the blonde interrogated, sounding relieved. Sasuke shook his head. He had been called worse. And back in the days he had no-one to get mad in his stead. "Good. I mean... Not really good since it probably means this isn't the first time, and that's fucking awful but... You know, I'm just glad you're not sad. I hate it when you're sad-"

"I don't get sad," Sasuke replied. Naruto snorted at that, clearly not believing him. "And at least you've never said anything of the sort," the brunette said, staring at his lover. "I've been worried you'd try to call the thing we've had a bromance," he snorted. "Suigetsu does that. It's not really a bromance if I want to fuck him," he mused. Naruto grabbed his hand, getting visibly agitated. "Don't worry, he's straight-"

" _I_ was straight," the blonde pointed out. "I'm going to leave hickeys all over your face, so people would start running away from you, thinking it's the plague," he threatened, planting his lips on Sasuke's cheek. The brunette smirked as the man nipped and sucked on his skin. It seemed he planned to go through with his threat.

"Possessive much?" Sasuke snorted. "You're the one, who's posing naked for my flatmate," he pointed out. He glanced at other people present in the waiting room with them. Luckily, they didn't seem interested in what he and Naruto were doing. "And yet I'm fine with it-"

"How come you're not jealous?" his boyfriend whined while admiring the hickey he had made.

"He's already seen you naked," Sasuke answered. "The damage is done-"

"Jeez, that's so lame," the blonde laughed. "And now Suigetsu will discover he has hots for you, and you'll break up with me in a heartbeat-"

"I won't," Sasuke objected. "With him it's really just about his ass," he stated. "Although he did fool around with me-"

"Shut up," Naruto pleaded, his hand squeezing Sasuke's. "You're mine now," he declared.

"You're being creepy," the brunette whispered, his fingers intertwining with Naruto's. He still felt rather dizzy from the alcohol. He rested his head on the other man's shoulder, forcing himself to stay awake. "How's your head?" he inquired. "He hit you pretty hard, are you all right?"

"I think so," the blonde replied. "I have a pretty thick skull," he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "But, you know, he really wanted to hit me hard. I feel lucky to still have all my teeth-"

"I've heard that toothless people give amazing blowjobs," Sasuke snickered. "Because then it's just gums embracing your cock-"

"That's both gross and hot," Naruto laughed, kissing Sasuke on top of his head. "How much longer are they going to keep us in here?" he questioned. The brunette shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't anything urgent so there was no telling how much longer it would take. At least Kiba was being kept in a different room. Sasuke wasn't certain he could stop himself from hitting him again.

"When they're going to question you, make sure they know that he has threatened us before," Sasuke murmured. "He's not really injured, and I doubt he will try doing anything funny. You look worse than he does," he said. "I don't think the prosecutor will try to bring you to a trial. And you were defending me. Kind of," he sighed.

"So you know the system from in and out, eh?" the blonde questioned. Sasuke side-eyed him. "I mean... I hit him because I was angry, not because I was afraid that something might happen to us-"

"I'm not visiting you in jail," he retorted. "If you'll give them ammunition, it will end in a trial, and most of the trials end with a guilty verdict. So, if you think you should go to jail for hitting an asshole-"

"Fine," Naruto relented. "I'm one hundred percent innocent," he sighed. "But I still should try making up with Kiba," he whined.

"Why not," Sasuke agreed. The man probably deserved to know he was fighting a lost cause.

* * *

Naruto panted, breaking the kiss as Sasuke gently pushed him towards the wall of his room. His pale hands were busy with unzipping Naruto's fly and pulling his pants down. The blonde bit his lover's neck, suppressing a laugh as Sasuke quietly moaned. His level of sensitivity was quite ridiculous. Not that Naruto had anything to complain about. He rolled up Sasuke's shirt, snickering when his head got trapped in it. The blonde gasped as his boyfriend forced him to turn back to him, shoving him against the wall and grinding against him.

"I'm starting to think we won't reach the bed," Naruto stated in a heated whisper.

"You don't want to reach the bed, trust me," the brunette mewed into his ear, sending a shiver down Naruto's spine. "I'm going to fuck you standing, and you'll feel so good you'll beg me to stop," he laughed. The blonde tilted his head backwards.

"Yeah, I'm not going to believe that," he replied, almost jumping when Sasuke's lubed finger entered him. "But I'm going to remember that you like it, and I'll do it to you later," he promised.

"You better," Sasuke snorted. "It's not so great for me, there's not too much to watch when we're this close," he complained. "So I'll be just tired afterwards," he whined, finger-fucking Naruto. "Appreciate it," he demanded in a low voice, his hand embracing Naruto's dick.

"There's nothing to appreciate yet," the blonde pointed out, refraining himself from fucking Sasuke's hand. His boyfriend made a disappointed noise, and added another finger, scissoring them inside of Naruto. "Fuck, you're moving fast today," Naruto laughed.

"I've said I'll have you squirm like a bitch in heat, and I'm going through with my plan," Sasuke said. "Unless it's really too fast?"

"Nah, it's fine," Naruto assured him, relaxing his butthole. The brunette's ragged breath was brushing against the nape of his neck, and Naruto was certain that if this was their first time, he would be freaking out a lot. His lover was standing behind him, and Naruto was pretty much forced to be passive. But with Sasuke it felt strangely intimate. He knew his boyfriend was doing it just for him, and having seen how ridiculously selfish he was, it seemed almost a reward. He smiled when a third finger entered him. It happened faster than before. Naruto had no idea whether he was still loose from the last time or if he just wasn't fighting against it as much but there was no discomfort.

They weren't even completely naked, their pants rolled around their ankles, Naruto still wearing his t-shirt. He took it off, and pressed against Sasuke's chest, enjoying his body heat. The brunette abandoned his dick, and took care of his own, putting on a condom, and covering it with lube. "It'll feel like too much," Sasuke warned him. "But, frankly, this is the reason why I prefer bottoming," he whispered, planting a shy kiss on Naruto's shoulder. The head of his cock slowly slid in. Generally, his moves were much slower than usually.

Naruto sucked in a breath. He expected a quick fuck but it turned out to be rather sensual. Sasuke was making full, slow thrusts, his strong arms embracing Naruto's chest, his fingers playing with his nipples. Then the blonde understood what Sasuke meant by too much. He was constantly rubbing against his prostate, and Naruto was certain he would lose his balance within seconds. "All right, this is pretty amazing," he admitted. Sperm beaded on his cock. Then there was more, and it was dripping on the floor. Naruto watched it in awe, his body getting almost unpleasantly hot. It did feel too good. He moved closer to the wall, smearing his seed all over it.

"Don't run away," Sasuke snorted, keeping him from moving. Naruto whimpered. He was losing control over his body, all of his muscles were too relaxed. "See, I'm milking you," Sasuke mused, his hand stroking the blonde's throbbing shaft.

"Stop it," Naruto begged in a breaking voice. "Ah, fuck, don't stop," he growled when Sasuke did stop moving. He cried in pleasure when his lover returned to fucking him. It felt out of this world. "This is the first time when you actually deliver, and- holy fuck," he cursed. "I think I'm in love with you," he confessed. He realized what he had said when Sasuke stopped moving again, his chest heaving against Naruto's back. The blonde's mouth went dry. He screwed up. "Sorry, I-"

"Me, too," Sasuke interrupted him in a firm tone. "So don't you dare to take it back now," he whispered, his voice strained. "I mean it," he added, tightening his embrace. His length was pulsating inside of Naruto, his heart beating even faster than a minute ago.

"I won't," the blonde promised. Sasuke kissed his neck, his fingers digging into Naruto's stomach. "But could you start moving again?" Naruto asked, suppressing a snicker.

"Not yet," his lover admitted quietly. The blonde blushed. He wished he could see Sasuke's face right now. He turned his head to look at him, locking his eyes with the black ones. "Fuck, it's gotten sappy," the brunette sighed. "Sorry," he chuckled. Naruto smiled at him, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Now I'll have to start from the beginning," Sasuke complained. "So if you have more surprising things to say, do it now."

"You would look great in a skirt," Naruto teased. Sasuke arched an eyebrow at him.

"You must really hate my flat ass," he snorted. "And I'm not shaving my legs for you. I've already indulged your ham and peas fantasy, and I'm not doing anything more until you make one of mine come true," he bargained.

"So what do you want me to do? Because now I definitely want to see you in a skirt," Naruto laughed. At first it was a joke but the longer he thought about it, the better it seemed. "And stockings," he decided. "If you're going to wear a skirt, stockings are a must-have-"

He had to stop when Sasuke thrusted into him again. "I'm not going to cross-dress for you," the brunette stated in an apologetic tone. "You'll have to choose something else. Unless you'll be cross-dressing as well," he offered softly. "It's not my kink but I won't be the only one making a fool out of myself, so-"

"You won't be able to get it up for me if I'll be wearing a skirt," Naruto panted. Sasuke laughed into his shoulder, slowly swaying his hips.

"You'll still be a man," he said. "I couldn't care less about what you'd be wearing," he said. "I'd get it up for you even if you were wearing a banana costume," he snorted.

"Now that's oddly specific," Naruto teased. "I had no idea you were into bananas," he mused.

"Says guy who's into ham and peas," Sasuke retorted. The blonde grabbed the other man's wrist, and smooched the inside of his hand. It was really pleasant, kind of lazy sex. His arousal was growing gradually but steadily. And he knew he would get close to the edge in no time. "I'm not into bananas," Sasuke added after a longer while as if it was a necessary thing to say. Naruto snickered, bucking his hips forward. It was slowly getting too much. The brunette put his hands on Naruto's hips, keeping him immobile. Sweat beaded on his forehead. One drop fell down, soaking into his pants.

"It's pretty messy," the blonde moaned. Sasuke made an affirmative noise. His breath was already erratic. It seemed he was close to coming as well. Naruto laughed, resting his forehead against the wall. It felt like waves repeatedly crashing against the shore. And he was about to explode.

* * *

"I'll be missing this place," Naruto murmured into Sasuke's arm. It was already past dawn. They had spent almost an entire night at the police station. "You've taken my ass virginity in here," he mused. Sasuke yawned, stretching his limbs. "You should've sprinkled your bed with rose petals," the blonde complained.

"Mmm, yes," the man agreed absentmindedly. "And light some scented candles-"

"Exactly," Naruto mumbled out sleepily. "I'll carry you over the threshold to your new apartment," he promised. "See, _I_ am able to be romantic-"

"If everything goes well, we'll be living in the same dorm," Sasuke confessed. The blonde jerked his head at the words. "Unless you don't want me to-"

"Of course I do," Naruto exclaimed. "Holy fuck, why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"It's nothing certain yet," Sasuke replied, trying to hide his smile. So Naruto didn't mind it. He even seemed happy. That was way more than Sasuke hoped for. He pulled his boyfriend closer, planting a shy kiss on the top of his head. "What about your job? Your boss didn't look too happy," he asked.

"Well," the blonde started. "I hit a patron," he sighed. "So I guess you did get me fired in the end," he chuckled. Sasuke pinched his cheek. "I would probably do it again, though," Naruto admitted. "Like, I think that's an awful thing to say but he _was_ a dick-"

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "Don't do it again though," he said. "Or Itachi's going to dislike you," he snorted, getting more comfortable in bed. "He's not as forgiving towards others as he is to me."

"Well, I don't want to get on his bad side," Naruto replied. "You two must really love one another-"

"Shut it," Sasuke protested.

"I'm starting to think your relationship with your brother is _really_ weird-"

"Now you're getting on _my_ bad side," Sasuke warned. Naruto chuckled, covering them both with a comforter. "He was with me from the very beginning, and he's going to stay with me till the end," the brunette stated. "And this isn't my wishful thinking but a fact. If it's weird, then it's weird. Take it or leave it," he hissed.

"So that's _another_ touchy subject," the blonde whispered. "You don't have to fight me, Sasuke, I'm on your side-"

"You weren't _always_ on my side," Sasuke snapped. "So excuse me if I don't take it for granted," he barked.

"Well, okay, fine, I can't compete with your brother," the blonde sighed. "But right now you're getting angry for _nothing_. And I _am_ on your side. You should've known that by now," he complained.

"...sorry," Sasuke grunted. He mentally counted to one hundred; halfway through he realized he wasn't angry anymore. It seemed that smaller numbers started working for Naruto.

* * *

 


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto huffed in annoyance, dragging two bodies on his shoulders. It was a disaster. He and Sasuke had came to Sasuke's aunt, and, as it turned out, it was the same city where Sasuke's alma mater was. And that meant Sasuke's friends. And Sasuke's friends were the most annoying bunch of idiots Naruto had ever seen.

There was Juugo, who got so wasted that Naruto had to carry him out from the club Sasuke took them to, and who, apparently, was crazy about being eco-friendly. He went on for hours about the fact that every year 10,000 species are going extinct. And that meat was murder. And fur was murder. And leather was murder. The things Naruto was wearing were products of unethical labor. And there was no hope for the mankind because jerks like Naruto were roaming the earth. The worst thing was that Sasuke had spent most of his time agreeing with what Juugo was saying. As if Naruto didn't know Sasuke was as much of a carnivore as Naruto was. But Juugo wasn't even half as bad as the other two.

Suigetsu probably took the crown for being the most obnoxious man Naruto had ever met. And he was the worst kind of drunk. He had more stupid ideas that Naruto was able to count, and he wanted to go through with all of them. And he was pretty much _everywhere_. Naruto wished he had a leash for him because going back to Sasuke's aunt's home was a huge pain in the ass. He had spent half of the time chasing the drunk idiot, and trying to make him follow them.

Karin, on the other hand, who had the bad luck of having the same last name as Naruto, what seemed to interest Sasuke far more than it should had, was one of the awfully touchy-feely women. But only towards Sasuke. Who didn't mind it. At all. And he was ignoring Naruto's glares, comments, and kicks under the table. As if he wasn't even dating him.

The blonde sighed, using his head to ring the doorbell. Sasuke was leaning on his left side, Juugo was draped over his right shoulder. Suigetsu was sitting on the pavement, painting something obnoxious with a piece of chalk he had found. Karin was arguing with him, slurring something about dicks and vaginas. The doors opened, and Sasuke's aunt, already dressed in her night gown, appeared in the doorway. She didn't look too surprised.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said. "I had to bring them here, I had no idea what to do with them," he added. The woman sent him a warm smile, saying that everything was in order, and let them into the kitchen, where she proceeded to prepare tea. Naruto sat Juugo on a chair, gently resting his head on the table. He wanted to do the same with Sasuke, so he could go back for the other two idiots and bring them home as well but the brunette got green in the face. Naruto rolled his eyes, and almost threw him towards the sink, where the man barfed. "He's usually not like that," Naruto lied, simultaneously turning on the tap to wash away the vomit. Sasuke's hair got wet in the process but Naruto didn't mind it.

"Honey, I know him longer than you do," the woman laughed. "You don't have to cover for him. I'm just glad he returned home in one piece," she said, handing Naruto a cup of tea. The blonde gladly accepted it, leaving Sasuke with his head in the sink. He was still heaving, and moving away from there was just asking for a disaster.

He put the cup on the table, and went outside to collect Karin and Suigetsu. At least they weren't complaining as much when they learned Sasuke was already inside. Naruto was wondering if they were Sasuke's friends or minions. Both definitions would fit them. He returned inside, sat the two on the opposing sides of the table, and went back to helping Sasuke stand more or less straight.

Yesterday they had a fight with Kiba, and back then Naruto thought that there was nothing worse that could happen to them. Today, it turned out that Sasuke getting wasted with his friends was the worse thing.

"You've never said why you're so bruised," the aunt chirped, sitting on a chair. She had put some rice crackers and other food on the table. Naruto was somewhat jealous - she was an amazing cook. Sasuke probably didn't appreciate it. And if he did, it wasn't enough. She deserved all the appreciation in the world, and Sasuke never even bothered to say that she could cook. Even when Naruto complained about Iruka's skills. If she was Naruto's aunt, he would be bragging about it all day long.

"I was punched by one jerk," the blonde replied. It seemed that Sasuke didn't inform her that the whole thing had its final at the police station. He probably didn't want her to know. Naruto mentally rolled his eyes.

The interrogation was far less scary than he had anticipated it to be. He had told the officers what hat happened, making sure to say what Sasuke ordered him to say, and, as the things stood now, they had to wait one week to see if Kiba's injuries would heal or not. If they were to heal - and they should - then it would mean that there was no big harm. And, if what Sasuke had told him was true, they shouldn't be worrying about anything anyways.

The worse thing was that Yahiko fired him on the spot. Naruto could see why. Especially after his boss went through the tapes to give them to the police. The blonde was still too ashamed to go back there and collect what was left of his paycheck.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the woman said. She sent a worried look toward Sasuke, who barfed again. Naruto sighed, and handed him a glass of water. He would have to have a serious talk with the man after he would sober up. "I think I'll put you three," she said, pointing to Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin, "in Sasuke's room, and you two will sleep in Itachi's," she decided.

Sasuke's room looked pretty impersonal. There was no photos, posters, nothing. Just some school books, a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a chair. As if he never lived in there, as if his stay there was just temporal. When Naruto commented on it, Sasuke simply told him that he was done with getting attached to stuff. It probably made some sense but it also seemed rather sad. Normally, people would have a favorite mug or a pillow, and they would mark the place they were living in. Naruto had made his room _his_ during the first two hours in the new home. Sasuke had kept his nobody's for almost ten years.

"Ew, I'm not sleeping with you," Karin protested, pointing to Suigetsu, who looked just as terrified.

"You can sleep with me if you don't want to sleep with the boys," the aunt offered.

"Please, do it," Suigetsu muttered. "You probably snore and fart in your sleep _a lot,"_ he grunted.

"You're fucking asking for getting pummeled into the ground," Karin growled at the idiot. "And yes, Miss Sasuke's aunt, I'll gladly sleep with you," she huffed. The woman smiled at her. She had to be a saint, Naruto decided. He would had thrown all of them out.

* * *

"Your friends are idiots," Naruto complained, undressing Sasuke, whose eyes seemed dead and empty. It turned out that Itachi had a bathroom next to his room. "And you can't hold your alcohol for shit-"

"I can still drink," Sasuke protested, hiccupping. His hair was wet, his t-shirt dirty, and he looked like a hot mess.

"No, you can't," the blonde disagreed, taking their clothes off, and leading the man into the shower. He turned on the water, and sprayed the brunette with it, somewhat satisfied by the unhappy noises he was making. The water was still cold. "Your dick is shrinking," he snorted. Sasuke rolled his eyes at him.

"Why are you here? I'm fully capable of washing myself," he complained.

"No, you're not," Naruto replied. "Half an hour ago you were throwing up into the kitchen sink. An hour ago you weren't able to tell me your address," he pointed out. "Two hours ago you were all in when Suigetsu dared Karin to make you hard-"

"You're such a party pooper," Sasuke sighed. Naruto used that moment to pour water into his mouth. The man spat it out, glaring daggers at the blonde. "Go out, I'll do it on my own," he demanded.

"I'm not going out, I want to take a shower as well," Naruto protested, soaking his own hair, and massaging his scalp with the shampoo he had found in there. He was using the same brand.

"You've brought your shampoo here? So now you don't even want to _smell_ like me," Sasuke whined.

"No, it's Itachi's, I guess," Naruto replied. He had no idea what his boyfriend's problem was. "I thought you wanted to take a shower on your own," he added, noting Sasuke's bewildered stare.

"Start using a different one," the man demanded, washing his own hair with shower gel. Then he used it for Naruto's as well.

"Why?" the blonde questioned.

"Because you smell like my _brother_ ," Sasuke answered as if it made sense. Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I mean it," the brunette hissed.

"I like this shampoo," he said. "It makes my hair soft. And I thought you liked this smell?"

"I _didn't_ ," Sasuke barked at him. "Change it," he ordered.

"I'm not doing it," Naruto protested.

"Do you want me to think of my brother when I'm fucking you?" the brunette growled, getting uncomfortably close to Naruto.

"If that makes you happy," he tried to joke. Sasuke didn't laugh. He just sighed, and sat down, letting the water fall on him.

* * *

"I hope you're suffering," Naruto muttered under his breath. One black eye cracked open. It looked tired.

"What have I done?" Sasuke asked in a weak voice. Naruto huffed in satisfaction. So the asshole _was_ feeling sick. There was some justice in the world.

"What _haven't_ you done," the blonde mused. "I'm not even going to complain about you throwing up in weird places because that's your fucking standard, and I'm already used to it," he started. Sasuke frowned. "Although it still sucks-"

"You've said you won't complain," the brunette interrupted Naruto, annoying him furthermore.

"Shut up and let me finish," Naruto demanded. "I had to drag you and your friends here, and let me tell you that finding a cabby that would drive _four_ drunk out of their minds people isn't an easy task. Also, Juugo is fucking heavy. My back hurts."

"You didn't have to bring them here," Sasuke whined. "So it's your fault your back hurts-"

"Sasuke, for fuck's sake, I'm starting with the lightest offences. So stop digging your own grave-"

"Just tell me what it is," the brunette sighed.

"You've made out with Karin," Naruto stated. Sasuke blinked at that. Then he snorted.

"I'm gay, it doesn't mean a thing," he protested.

"You could be a goddamn unicorn for all I care, you're still not allowed to make out with other people if you're dating me," Naruto growled back. Sasuke side-eyed him, massaging his temples. He looked like shit, and that was reassuring.

" _Allowed_ ," he repeated. "You don't own me," he sneered. "And stop with this jealousy, it's pathetic-"

"It's less pathetic than wanting to fuck your own brother," the blonde replied in a hushed voice. Sasuke's face paled. So he didn't remember having _that_ conversation. "And stop this shit with me and Karin being related, it's not funny," Naruto continued. "You even wanted me and her to make out. Like, do you get off to incest or what-"

"Who else knows about me and Itachi?" Sasuke asked in a panicked tone. He looked sick.

"Just me, you've decided to grace me with that story when you've sobered up enough to notice we were sleeping in his room," Naruto answered. "And if you really believe you should be walking around kissing other people then we're over," he uttered.

"...I won't," the brunette promised, veering away from Naruto. The blonde sighed, and pulled him closer.

"I don't care about you and Itachi," he whispered. "I mean, it's weird but I've never knew anyone related to me so it doesn't freak me out as much as it should-"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. He sounded ashamed, and that particular emotion was so unlike him that it shook Naruto to his core. Sasuke had never been ashamed. Not even once. "Nothing ever happened-"

"I know," the blonde assured his boyfriend. "You've told me, okay? And I kind of appreciate it that you have. So stop worrying about it, and start worrying about the other stuff. You've screwed up, seriously screwed up. Just admit that you can't drink, and stop getting wasted. Like, what would you have done if I wasn't there?"

"But you _were_ there," Sasuke whined. "I knew you'd take care of me-"

"Oh, great. So now I'm your babysitter. And what about your friends? Was I supposed to leave them there? Really? You wanted me to leave there Juugo, who was unable to move, Suigetsu, who would probably get ran over by some car if I didn't keep him close, and Karin, who was all over everything that was moving-"

"She's not like that," Sasuke complained. "And yes, leaving them there wouldn't be a good idea," he agreed after a long hesitation. "I guess I trusted you," he admitted.

"Yeah, don't do that again. Not the trusting part, I mean, you can trust me but... I don't know, just don't leave me alone with _four_ drunk people. I can take care of _you_ but that's it. It gets tiring if there's more-"

"Fine," the man interrupted him.

"Sasuke, I really don't care about you and Itachi," Naruto said in a firm voice. "Like, you know, you've been giving off this incestuous vibe for quite some time now-"

"Shut up," the brunette demanded, closing his eyes, and hiding his face in the pillow.

"Look, he became your entire world at one point, so it's kind of natural that you'd want to, um, _explore_ -"

"I'm serious, Naruto, stop talking," Sasuke pleaded. The blonde obeyed, glancing at his boyfriend. He was worried. No matter what he said, there was no escaping facts. And the facts were that Sasuke had told him much more than he had probably wanted to. Naruto placed his hand between the other male's shoulder blades, rubbing circles around the snake. The man shivered upon being touched, and relaxed only after a longer while. He looked stressed. And sick.

The blonde sucked in a breath, and patted Sasuke on the shoulder, handing him a bowl. The man glared daggers at him before accepting it. "This reminds me of how we've met," Naruto tried to joke as Sasuke emptied his stomach. "I still like you, I'm just angry at you," the blonde added. "And you're not pathetic-"

"I've said something," Sasuke growled when he was able to speak again. "Stop talking about it-"

"The longer I know you, the fewer topics I can discuss with you," Naruto whined. "Your parents are off limits, your brother's off limits, everything that makes you _feel_ something is off limits," he listed.

"Naruto, I'm hungover, I'm seriously considering jumping out of a window, and you're _still_ talking," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto wanted to continue arguing but they were interrupted by one of Sasuke's idiotic friends. The blonde frowned, seeing Suigetsu's bleached hair. The man had been really obnoxious.

"Hey, man, I'm hungry," he yelled, jumping in between Sasuke and Naruto. He glanced at the contents of the bowl, and started to laugh to Sasuke's displeasure. "You should eat more, you know, there's just water in there-"

"You're gross," Sasuke complained, handing him the bowl, and curling up on his side of the bed.

"Oh, come on," Suigetsu exclaimed, putting the bowl on the floor, and tickling Sasuke, who grunted unhappily. "Wake up, and give me some food," he demanded.

"Yeah, Sasuke, you should feed your guests," Naruto agreed with the annoying man. "You're a terrible host-"

"Get lost," the brunette barked. "I didn't invite you here," he pointed out. It didn't faze Suigetsu but Naruto pouted at the words. They were true for him as well. He did invite himself to Sasuke's home.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked. Sasuke stared at him, looking surprised. Then he heaved a heavy sigh.

"No," he replied. "Suigetsu, get the rest of the squad, go downstairs, and fix some breakfast. I and Naruto will join you in ten minutes or so."

"That's no fun," the man complained, pinching Sasuke's cheek. "And what's with that tone? You think you can boss me around like that?"

"Yes," the brunette muttered. "You're at my house, I could tell you to go away. So go downstairs-"

"Fine," Suigetsu relented. "You're _so_ boring when you're sober," he added, jumping over Naruto. "I have no idea how you're able to stand him," he mused, straddling the blonde. Naruto gulped, uncertain about what he should do. Sasuke glared at the man.

"I prefer him when he's sober," Naruto mumbled out. "Could you get off me?"

"What, you like my ass too?" Suigetsu laughed. "Don't worry, I'm used to Sasuke getting hard for me, I'm sure I'll survive one more dick poking my ass," he said.

"He told you to get off him," Sasuke hissed, pushing Suigetsu to the floor. The man snorted, barely able to avoid falling into the bowl. Then he simply got up and left the room, leaving flustered Naruto and annoyed Sasuke in it.

"He's really obnoxious," the blonde whispered. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"I don't want _you_ to leave, I was talking to him. I did invite you," he said. "And when it comes to me and Itachi, it's... complicated. But I _don't_ want to fuck him. It was a moment of madness," he explained. "So no, I don't get off to incest. And sorry about Karin. She's used to getting all over me, and I guess I got used to it as well," he stated.

"Okay," the blonde replied. "So... About your brother-"

"What do you want to know?" he asked, sounding tired.

"Why is it so complicated?" Naruto questioned. He wanted to understand Sasuke more. And it seemed that Itachi was the key.

"We... well... We used to be close even before all of it happened," he started. "And then, he became my legal guardian since he was my closest kin, and I hoped it would stay that way but we had nowhere to live, and I guess Itachi was too young to take on such responsibility... So when my aunt offered to take us in, he accepted it, and we moved out from our hometown. But, in the meantime we became even closer. I think I didn't leave his side for more than five minutes," Sasuke snorted.

"He was all I had left, and I didn't want to lose him. But, at the same time, he was the reason my parents were dead. So... Well. It was pretty ambivalent. And I was angry. At everything. And my parents used to be pretty strict, so I've never been acting out before but I started to after their deaths. I guess I was hoping someone would scold me," Sasuke sighed. "But everyone was feeling _sorry_ for me. My aunt was too busy, and Itachi felt too guilty to tell me anything. So I was on my own, and I started to like it. This is when we were sleeping in one bed," the brunette whispered. "I stopped coming here after I had a wet dream about him," he said almost inaudibly. "That didn't help much, though. He was all I had left, and he was the only person, who actually knew me. People at the new school didn't really bother themselves with it. Boys hated me, and girls we all over me-"

"You're being really humble today," Naruto snickered. The brunette side-eyed him. It was clear that he didn't like being interrupted.

"It's true. And you should be thankful that my ego was boosted like that because you suck at giving compliments," Sasuke sighed. "If I didn't know better, I would be thinking that you hate the way I look," he mused.

"And you're still going on about that _one_ time I've said your ass was flat," Naruto laughed. "I've also called you a ten, and I thought I was straight back then. Doesn't it count?"

"No," Sasuke decided. "Anyways, as I said, boys hated me, girls were all over me, and Itachi was all I had. So I didn't really grow out from... my infatuation with him," he uttered, carefully weighing every word. Naruto wondered if the man had ever told this anyone. It didn't seem as if he had. "So I've gotten even more angry. I was messed up enough as it was, I didn't need anything more," he mused. "So I was getting in even more fights, it was _really_ easy to provoke me. Sometimes, if I was bored, I would start them myself. In the meantime Itachi graduated, with top scores, of course," he muttered. "You have to understand that Itachi is pretty much perfect. So I was also jealous of him. And I admired him. Again, it's not so easy. _Then_ I was getting in more fights, and I got kicked out from my high school. _This_ was when Itachi finally decided that he was done with feeling sorry for me. And he gave me a two hours long lecture about why what I was doing was wrong, and so on, and so on," he murmured. "After he was finished, he hugged me, and you have to understand that it was the most physical contact I've had in _ages._ I was stunned. I've hugged him back, and it actually felt _right._ So I went for... well, more. I kissed him, and he didn't like it. He jumped back as if it burnt him. And then he said that perhaps we shouldn't be so close anymore. Because it was bad for me. He moved out within the next week. He abandoned his lawyer career, everything he had in here. If he wasn't so brilliant, he would have been screwed. But, of course, it all turned out well for him. Only I was left alone."

"So what did you do?" Naruto asked. Sasuke exhaled through his nose.

"I thought he would calm down and return here if I was to find myself somebody else. So I dated a bunch of girls. Mostly to prove how heterosexual and normal I was," the brunette snorted. "But he didn't come back. He didn't come back even after I've realized I wasn't exactly straight. He wasn't coming back when I was doing good, he wasn't coming back when I was doing bad. As if it didn't really matter. We grew apart during that time. And he's still away," Sasuke finished.

"So you want him to come back?"

"Maybe," the man replied. "Right now, I'm telling him that everything is fine even when it isn't. He would just worry, perhaps he would come back for a day or two. But then he would go away again. I don't know if it's because I disgust him so much or-"

"I don't think you disgust him," Naruto interrupted him. "He's probably just worried that you'd go back to, um... you know, to trying to get physical with him. And I guess he wants you to build a life for yourself, like, he probably believes he's distracting you-"

"Perhaps," Sasuke agreed. He didn't sound convinced. Naruto embraced the man, who grunted unhappily, swatting away a hand from his stomach. It seemed that he was still feeling sick. "We should go back to them or they're going to eat my aunt out of all her money-"

"Yeah," Naruto whispered. He promised himself to have a talk with Itachi as soon as possible. But first he would have to have one with Kiba. And with Hinata, who asked Naruto to meet her. The blonde sighed, getting up from bed. He hoped that all would end well.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh, so here's another chapter.  
> 


	23. Chapter 23

Sasuke glared at his friends, refraining himself from throwing them all out. At least his aunt had already left for work. Sasuke sipped on his tea, frowning at the ridiculous level of its sweetness. That had to be Suigetsu's doing. He knew that Sasuke would hate it. His stomach was still upset, and if it wasn't for his pride, he would be throwing up. He glanced at Naruto, who shoved a piece of ham into his mouth, probably just to unnerve Juugo, who had been lecturing him on the superiority of soy. It seemed that the blonde wasn't too bothered by what Sasuke had told him. Or he was really good at pretending that it didn't bother him. Whichever it was, Sasuke was thankful. He didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Say 'ah'," Suigetsu teased, lifting a piece of fish, and getting it near Sasuke's mouth.

"Do you want me to throw up at you?" the brunette muttered, moving away.

"I've heard this is how you woo your mates," the man snickered.

"Leave him alone, you fucking idiot," Karin barked at Suigetsu. "I have no idea why he's friends with you-"

"Yeah, it bothers me too," Naruto murmured, stirring his tea.

"He's friends with me because I'm not so fucking boring, you stupid cow," Suigetsu growled back. "He would've gotten bored to death if he was spending his time with you-"

"Don't call her that," Sasuke demanded in a low voice. He had no idea how he and Suigetsu were able to become friends in the first place. It was probably due to them both being constantly drunk. Sasuke saw no other way for that to happen.

"Oh, sure, you're defending _her_ but _she_ is the one, who started it," the man whined.

"Stop it, you two," Juugo pleaded. Sasuke arched an eyebrow at him. If Juugo was getting angry then shutting up was the best solution. He hoped that his friends didn't forget about it. "Sasuke needs to rest, and you're having your stupid arguments-"

"You're stupid," Karin hissed at him. Sasuke sighed, noting Naruto's tired stare. There was a possibility that his friends were just as annoying as his boyfriend's. He found Naruto's foot with his own, and rubbed the other man's ankle with his toes. The blonde smiled at him, returning the gesture.

"I'm not," Juugo protested. "Sasuke, tell her-"

"You're not," Sasuke agreed with him. "Karin, stop being mean to Juugo, Suigetsu, stop being so annoying-"

"I'm always getting the short end of the stick," Suigetsu complained, throwing a crumpled napkin at Karin.

"Wow, you really like having your ass licked, Sasuke," Naruto laughed. The brunette deadpanned at him.

"Yeah, I'm not interested in details of your sex life," Suigetsu huffed.

"That's _not_ what I meant," the blonde whimpered, his face red. Sasuke hid his in his hands. He was surrounded by idiots. " _You_ are licking his ass. Figuratively."

"Oi, blondie," Karin growled at him. Sasuke took a deep breath. He wasn't in the mood for a fight. He wanted them to eat breakfast and go the fuck away, so he could go back to sleeping and drinking teas prepared for him by Naruto. "I think you want to get _your_ ass kicked-"

"Make up or leave," Sasuke demanded.

"That's not very nice," Suigetsu howled. "You're an ass, you know that?"

"Yeah, you're an asshole," Naruto agreed with the man. "They're your guests-"

"He was talking to you as well," Suigetsu barked at him. The blonde pouted at the words.

"I wasn't," Sasuke said, disappointing his friends. "Whatever, if you want to argue, do it without me. I'm going back to sleep-"

"I'll join you," Karin offered. "I bet you want someone to keep your bed warm-"

"I have Naruto for that," Sasuke interrupted her. She frowned at him, visibly upset.

"See, you're his bitch, not us," Suigetsu snorted at the agitated blonde.

"I'm nothing like you," he disagreed.

"Yes, because you're going to lick my ass _literally_ , not just figuratively," Sasuke whispered, smirking at his boyfriend, who shot him a terrified stare. "Remember what you've wanted from me? _This_ is my price-"

"You're a goddamn exhibitionist," Naruto realized. "Holy fuck, like, you have absolutely no shame-"

"Shame is overrated," Sasuke replied in a hushed voice. Suigetsu rolled his eyes, making a face at them.

"Now I'm wondering what he wanted from you," the man sighed. "Do you really want me to think about it? It's kind of gross-"

"You're free to go home," Sasuke pointed out.

"But it is kind of gross," Naruto said, tilting back on his chair. The brunette shrugged his shoulders. At the moment, he couldn't care less.

An hour later, his friends finally left them alone. Sasuke was grateful for that. He wouldn't be able to stand them for much longer, not when he was hungover. His boyfriend helped him clean up the kitchen and Itachi's bedroom, so they were able to return to Sasuke's. Naruto plopped on the bed, rubbing his eyelids and yawning.

"And then I have to help you with moving into the dorm," the blonde complained, making himself comfortable. Making himself comfortable meant taking all of Sasuke's pillows. The brunette frowned at that. He was sick. He should be pampered. And it seemed that Naruto was the worst nurse possible.

"You don't have to do that," Sasuke assured the man lying next to him. "I'll manage on my own-"

"No, I'll help you out," the blonde murmured. "Neighbors should help one another," he laughed.

"We're not really neighbors," Sasuke pointed out. He rested his head on the blonde's stomach, welcoming a warm hand, which made its way into Sasuke's hair. "I live on a different floor-"

"At least getting you home when you're wasted won't be such an ordeal now," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke made an offended noise. He was certain that he was nowhere near as annoying as the blonde was making him out to be. "I'm really glad you got the room," Naruto added, repeating that for the umpteenth time. Sasuke smiled to himself. Naruto's presence had a calming effect on him. Sasuke had never met someone this accepting, and, although sometimes it proved to be a nuisance, he was rather grateful for it. He stopped feeling as if he had to fight the whole world. He was fine as long as he had Naruto by his side, and it seemed that Naruto was going to stay there. For better and worse.

* * *

Naruto fidgeted in his spot, doing his best at acting cool. Judging from Sasuke's not-so-quiet snorts, it wasn't going too well. The blonde sent his annoying boyfriend an angry look, and returned to staring at bewildered Hinata. Hinata, who decided to visit him. While he was in Sasuke's room. Naruto was just hoping that she had known where he was thanks to his neighbors, and not just because she _knew_.

Sasuke was putting his books on a shelve. Naruto had helped him move in even though it wasn't exactly needed. Especially since Sai decided to help out as well. Taking all of Sasuke's stuff required just one trip. Naruto had even fulfilled his promise of carrying his boyfriend over the threshold. Said boyfriend was strongly against it, so Naruto had to carry him like a fireman would a panicking victim, not like a prince would his princess. It wasn't very romantic. Sasuke even hit himself in the head. It was probably a divine punishment for kicking Naruto's back. Or so Naruto liked to think.

"Sasuke," Hinata started shyly, her trembling voice bringing Naruto back to present moment. Sasuke dropped a book. It fell with a soft thump on the rug. "I wanted to a-apologize to you for before," she added, her face red like a peony, her eyes glued to the book lying on the floor. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"...okay," he replied after a longer while. It felt like eternity. Naruto breathed out. He wasn't expecting that. Her apology didn't really fix anything but Sasuke's not accepting it wouldn't solve anything either.

"...thank you," she whispered. "Naruto," she stated, and the blonde put on a wide grin. "I want you to know that I had nothing to do with Kiba. I would never want you to get hurt," she cried. Naruto patted her shoulder in a reassuring manner. He didn't know how he should act around her. Sakura claimed that Hinata was slowly coming back to her senses. He was hoping that his friend was right.

"Yeah, I've never thought it was your fault," he replied. That wasn't entirely true but she didn't have to know that. Hinata cracked a little relieved smile. Sasuke huffed in irritation. He probably wasn't too happy about an uninvited guest. Especially since she wasn't the only one. His room was crowded with unwanted guests he still didn't throw out. Naruto was wondering if Sasuke hadn't gone soft from being with him.

"Bro, you should offer us some pizza and a beer," Sai complained, sprawled on Sasuke's bed. "We've helped you move out. We've earned it."

"I didn't ask you to help me. Or to come here. Actually, you can all leave," the man barked, grabbing the book, and putting it back where it belonged. Naruto frowned at him but he probably couldn't see it. Not when he was turned back to him.

"Fine, I'll order it myself," Sai decided, sounding as if he was agreeing to Sasuke's insane offer, and not outstaying his welcome. "But you can forget about getting a free entry to my exhibition," he grunted, looking for something in his phone. "And it's going to be magnificent."

"If there'll be an exhibition," Sasuke pointed out in a flat voice. "Besides, I've seen your subject in much more interesting poses than the ones you're painting," he mused.

"Naruto, you'll have to show me," Sai insisted. "I was thinking about getting you a partner but nobody's interested," he complained. The blonde stared at him dumbfounded. He wouldn't agree to having a partner. "It's a shame. I thought about painting something more dynamic, stepping out of my comfort zone. A sexual act would've been a great start," he continued. Hinata's face got redder. Naruto didn't blame her. He knew he was blushing as well. Sasuke hunched his back. It seemed that he too didn't like the idea.

"I'm not having sex just so you could paint it," Naruto mumbled out.

"...Naruto?" Hinata asked in a terrified tone. The blonde fanned her with his hands, trying to assure her that everything was fine.

"Hinata," Sasuke uttered the name as if it personally offended him. "You're forgiven, but it's not forgotten. You should leave," he stated. Naruto sighed. The brunette was probably right. The woman made an embarrassed noise before getting up and obeying Sasuke's command.

Still, the talk with her went far better than the one Naruto had had with Kiba. The man wasn't interested in talking with him, and he had used some more gay slurs while refusing to do so. Eventually, Naruto gave up on trying to convince him that he wasn't wishing him bad, and that his infatuation with Hinata wasn't a good thing.

At least the fight they had had wouldn't bring any consequences. Kisame, the lawyer Sasuke's brother had recommended them, contacted the police and the prosecutor. Since Kiba's injuries weren't too big, and he had been quite aggressive himself, Kisame was able to persuade the interested parties that there was no chance of getting a guilty verdict. Therefore there was no case.

* * *

Naruto gaped at Itachi, tilting his head like a curious bird. Sasuke mentally facepalmed. His boyfriend looked ridiculous. He wanted Itachi to see a happy, healthy blonde, not a dumbass. Sasuke sighed in resignation, accepting his fate. Naruto was as unrepresentable as one could get.

"Are you sure he's your brother?" the blonde questioned in a hushed voice even though Itachi still wasn't close enough to hear that even if Naruto had shouted it. "Seriously, you two look nothing alike-"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that Itachi's my brother. And yes, we're actually related. Through both of our parents," Sasuke replied. The blonde rolled his eyes, and Sasuke congratulated himself on not using the word 'adopted.' It probably wasn't a laughing matter to Naruto. Even if Itachi's school friends did use to tell young Sasuke that he _was_ adopted. And then he would run crying to his mother, who had to reassure him that he was her flesh and blood. He shrugged at the memories.

"Sai looks _so_ much more like your brother," Naruto mused, rubbing his chin. "Itachi looks as if he suffered from ano-"

"He's perfectly healthy," Sasuke sighed, refraining himself from smacking his boyfriend's head. He started to regret bringing him there. He just hoped that the blonde wouldn't say something stupid when Itachi would be able to hear it.

"No, hear me out," Naruto demanded in a whiny voice. "Itachi is shorter than you are. And he's so thin that I'm getting worried about his well-being in a windy weather, and, like, his face is nothing like yours-"

"So you've moved from offending me to offending my family," Sasuke barked. "You're quite a shitty boyfriend, you know-"

"Geez, you're really short tempered," Naruto complained. "But you know, like, when I had just your stories and his voice, I imagined him to be a total badass with a pretty face, and he's so small you want to protect him from all the evils of the world-"

"My brother isn't _small_ ," Sasuke disagreed, wondering if there was a way to make Naruto shut up for the duration of his meeting with Itachi. Maybe, if he was to buy him a shitload of food, the blonde would stuff his stupid mouth with it and keep quiet. Or, what was far more probable, he would talk with his mouth full. Sasuke bit the insides of his cheeks, frantically trying to come up with a plan. Itachi would reach them in less than one minute.

"He _is_ small," Naruto insisted. "But hey, Gaara's kind of small too, and he's totally cool," he added in a cheerful voice. "Like, you know, there's nothing wrong about being small. At least he looks young. I bet he has trouble with buying alcohol. Like, I wouldn't sell it to him, no way-"

"Would you finally shut up?" Sasuke growled. "Show some respect, you moron, you're talking about my brother," he snarled.

"What have I done wrong? Your brother is lovely-"

"Thank you," Itachi said, interrupting the blonde. Sasuke gulped. He got so invested into talking with Naruto that he had forgotten to check his brother's position. "Let me assure you that I have absolutely no problems with buying alcohol," Itachi added calmly, taking a seat.

"Sorry for Naruto, he's an idiot," Sasuke mumbled out.

"Hey," the blonde whined. "I'm _not_ an idiot. I'm just sincere-"

"Yes, I appreciate that," Itachi replied, studying Naruto. Sasuke hoped the blonde would be accepted. Although it seemed pretty impossible at the moment. And it would remain so unless a miracle would happen. "It's really refreshing. I'm Itachi, by the way," he introduced himself. "Sasuke's older brother-"

"I know," Naruto said, a cheerful grin on his face. "And I'm Naruto but you probably know that as well," he added. "When are you coming back?" the blonde asked in a serious tone. Sasuke blinked. The question didn't make any sense. Itachi was right there and it didn't look as if he was planning to go away. Sasuke turned his head at his boyfriend, staring at him questioningly. "You know, for good," the blonde clarified. "Like, you know, Sasuke's missing you a lot-"

"I'm perfectly fine," Sasuke gritted through his teeth. "Don't listen to him," he added, promising himself to deal with the annoying blonde later on. Making a scene while his brother was still there was rather undesirable.

"But you _are_ missing him," Naruto stated knowingly. "Itachi, seriously, one little kiss isn't a reason-"

"Shut the fuck up ," Sasuke demanded in a low voice. He felt like panicking. He wouldn't had expected Naruto to act like a total douche. "You're stepping out of the line," he barked. "Itachi, don't pay any attention to him-"

"I came here to meet your boyfriend. I'm glad he's as lively as you are, little brother," Itachi murmured, watching them both with a faint smile lingering on his thin lips. Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"He's not my boyfriend," he decided. The blonde stared at him in disbelief, his blue eyes wide and hurt.

"What?!"

"You've heard me," Sasuke growled. "Itachi, we're leaving," he added, getting up from his seat. He wouldn't let a stupid relationship destroy what he had been rebuilding for the last few years. It wasn't worth it - even if it did sadden him. He liked Naruto, and he had believed that he could be serious with him. It turned out he couldn't.

"I'm not going anywhere," his brother replied. "And you should stop doing things you'll regret-"

"Don't talk to him like that," the blonde protested, surprising Sasuke. "And Sasuke, you're staying here as well, you've been putting off this talk for far too long," he complained. "Look, if I was thinking just about myself, I would've smiled and be exceptionally nice. But I care about you, and you need to talk to your brother. And it's not as if you were going to do it yourself, so..."

"This isn't your decision to make," Sasuke pointed out, still standing.

"Your behavior is telling me that I should listen to what Naruto has to say," Itachi noted, reading through the menu as if nothing out of ordinary was happening.

"He's not a dog, geez. You're both terrible at talking," the blonde whined, rubbing his forehead. "Itachi, look, Sasuke thinks you've left him alone because of what had happened back in the days," he started calmly. Sasuke's blood froze over in his veins. It was a disaster. He knew his face got paler than usual. And now there was nothing he could do to stop Naruto. He should had hit him when he still had a chance. "And if you did, shame on you," Naruto continued, observing Sasuke. "But the thing is that, like, you shouldn't have. Because Sasuke is still sad-"

"I'm not sad," Sasuke interrupted him. "I would be perfectly fine if it wasn't for you-"

"Meddling kids," Naruto snorted. Sasuke glared at him. That was neither time nor place to make silly jokes. "This is what Scooby Doo villains used to say-"

"I'm aware of that," Sasuke muttered. "It just wasn't funny."

"It wasn't," Itachi agreed. "But perhaps you're right about me and Sasuke-"

"He's _not_ ," Sasuke protested. "And as it stands now, we have no reason to talk with him," he stated in a cold tone. Naruto stared back at him, and it seemed that while he was hurting, the comment didn't faze him as much as it should had.

"You can't be serious," the blonde whined. "You're just angry at me, and you have every reason to be-"

"Then why did you do it?" Sasuke questioned. His voice broke as he said that, and he felt pathetic. Naruto betrayed his trust, _knowing_ he was doing it, and it still didn't stop him. As if it didn't matter. As if trusting was easy.

"...because you wouldn't, and it had to be done," Naruto whispered. "And honestly, Sasuke, watching you struggle because of something like this _hurts_ -"

" _Something_ _like this_ ," Sasuke repeated the words as if they personally offended him. He wanted to say more, to tell Naruto that he shouldn't had done it, that he wasn't struggling, and that if watching him hurts, then perhaps Naruto should had looked the other way - but Itachi spoke up in a quiet, calm voice, and it made the words in Sasuke's throat die, leaving just an aftertaste of rotten flesh. He felt sick, as if he was about to throw up.

"You know I had to leave, right?" his brother asked, sounding guilty. Sasuke was tired of Itachi feeling guilty. It was all his fault, and he didn't want the man to take blame for it as well. "If I didn't, then..."

"Then what?" Naruto asked mercilessly. Sasuke's hands clenched into fists.

"You're just opening an old wound, Naruto," Sasuke growled at his - now ex - boyfriend. "Itachi, ignore him. I'm fine, and he's being an idiot," he pleaded.

"You've told me that you're saying you're fine even when you aren't," the blonde pointed out. "You two should finally have an honest talk, even if you don't want to-"

"Get lost," Sasuke demanded.

"I'll take it from here, Naruto," Itachi said. The blonde sent him a questioning look before nodding his head, and leaving them alone. He looked beaten. Sasuke didn't care. All he cared about was making Itachi believe that everything was in order. "He's a keeper," his brother murmured when Naruto disappeared.

"He's a thing of the past now," Sasuke growled.

"It's a shame because he cares about you. He was right when he's said he could've been a delightful companion, and spent this time making a small talk-"

"That's what he should've done," Sasuke scoffed. It felt as if Naruto didn't even acknowledge that he was dumped, and that was rather depressing. He either didn't care enough or he simply decided that it was just one of Sasuke's moods and these, apparently, weren't worthy of his recognition.

"...so you want me back," Itachi started. He sounded shy.

"I don't," Sasuke replied almost immediately. That wouldn't make any sense. Itachi had a good job, and a life out there. Coming back because his younger brother was being a whiny bitch would be a stupid thing to do.

"...but there was a time when you did," the man tried again.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm perfectly fine-"

"Stop saying that you're fine," his brother demanded. "It occurred to me some time ago that my going away might have been a mistake," he stated. "However, I had no idea that you were still disappointed-"

"I'm not," Sasuke barked. "Drop this topic, we have absolutely no reason to discuss it."

"Sasuke," Itachi sighed heavily, playing with his hands. "I shouldn't have left you alone," he said. Sasuke looked away. Hearing it now, after all these years, brought nothing but pain. "What had happened between us wasn't a good reason to run away. I should've stayed and supported you-"

"You're my brother, not my mother," Sasuke interrupted him. "You owe me nothing, and you've done more than I could've asked for," he pointed out in a tired voice. "I'm nothing but grateful. So let's just forget about this-"

"Your mother is dead because of me," Itachi whispered. Sasuke's throat tightened. He didn't like being constantly reminded of that. "The least I can do is to make sure that you have everything you need."

"I'm already an adult. The least _I_ can do is to take care of myself," Sasuke paraphrased Itachi. "And I'm pretty good at it. So stop worrying," he demanded.

"Sasuke, I'm not going to stop worrying about you just because you're older," his brother chuckled. "I love you," he added as if saying it was the easiest thing to do. "So if even your new boyfriend thinks I've messed up, I am going to try to fix it."

"Naruto's not my boyfriend anymore," Sasuke muttered. Somehow, everyone decided to ignore this little fact. "And you've never messed up, you're perfect-"

"I'm not, Sasuke," Itachi whispered. "I've screwed up a lot. If you don't want to follow into my footsteps, you should call your not-boyfriend, and tell him you didn't mean what you've said," he advised.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the comment. His brother stood up, and embraced him with his slender arms. Sasuke caught himself thinking that perhaps Naruto had been right when he had said that Itachi was small. Nevertheless, the hug was strong and tight. Sasuke wanted to free himself at first but he found himself unable to do so. He didn't remember when was the last time his brother touched him ever since that fateful day. Probably never. Sasuke gave in, breathing in Itachi's comforting smell. The same as Naruto's. Sasuke sighed. This fucking smell would haunt him forever. He was hoping that his body wasn't reacting so strongly to Naruto's only because of a familiar scent. If it was, then he was more messed up than he was able to handle. He wasn't certain if it was Naruto smelling like Itachi or the other way around, and he didn't want to find out.

He returned the hug, feeling Itachi's shoulder blades. "Maybe you really should be eating more," he mumbled out. His brother laughed at that. "You don't have to come back here. I would feel bad if you were to do that," Sasuke said.

"I know you're a capable young man," Itachi replied. Sasuke huffed at it. He didn't like the lecturing tone. "I know you're an adult," the man corrected himself. "And I know you can take care of yourself. You've already proven that. If I were to come back, I wouldn't be doing it just because of you-"

"Liar," Sasuke snorted.

"Perhaps," Itachi agreed, ending the hug. A waitress approached them. They ordered their food and drinks, and sat down. "Sasuke," Itachi started again, this time looking more confident. "I'm here if you need me," he continued. "I will love you regardless of everything, so I want you to be honest with me. If you can be sincere with a man you've dumped in a heartbeat, I think you can do the same for me," he concluded.

"Perhaps," Sasuke replied noncommittally. His brother chuckled at the answer. The talk they were having was nowhere as terrifying as he had imagined it to be. Maybe Itachi was simply acting, maybe he was actually still disgusted by the memory of his brother's lips, maybe he was thankful that Sasuke didn't use his sense of guilt to force him to come back. There was no telling how it really was like.

* * *

Naruto gulped upon hearing a knock on his door. He approached them, trying to stop his arms from shaking. When he had gotten home, he realized that perhaps Sasuke was serious when he had said he was breaking up with him. Or, if he wasn't, then maybe he decided that it was for the best anyways. Naruto opened the doors with a heavy heart to see pissed off Sasuke. Well, he was expecting that.

"...hi," he mumbled out, uncertain about what else he could say.

"What would you have done if it didn't work out?" Sasuke questioned in a grave tone. Naruto opened his mouth to reply but there wasn't anything smart he could say. "Was there a plan b?" Sasuke probed, his eyebrows furrowed.

"...I guess it did work out, though," the blonde whispered. He knew that it wasn't the correct answer. "You were the first to mess with my life, so..."

"I was dealing with your _friends_ ," Sasuke pointed out, narrowing his black eyes. "You _can_ find yourself new friends. I _can't_ get myself a new brother," he growled.

"...sorry," Naruto stammered. Now, when Sasuke told him that, he understood that he had fucked up badly. Perhaps there was no way for him to not be a shitty boyfriend.

"Sorry doesn't fix anything," Sasuke hissed. "You took a gamble on my fucking life. You don't know my brother, you don't know how we work like, you didn't even try to check it for yourself, you...," he paused, visibly trying to collect himself. "You didn't even think that if your stupid plan didn't work, I would be fucking screwed," he concluded, breathing heavily. "I shouldn't even be here right now," he sighed. "The fact that I am here only proves that I'm a fucking idiot-"

"I'm the idiot," Naruto protested. He felt like crying. "Seriously, Sasuke, I'm sorry," he repeated. "You were always saying that he was great, and that he was worrying about you a lot, and it seemed that you're super important to him, and I just kind of assumed that he wouldn't just..."

"I could've been lying," Sasuke noticed. "I could've been wrong. Why haven't you _at least_ waited, you shouldn't have done that-"

"I wouldn't do it again," Naruto stated, doing his best at not looking away. He was ashamed for what he had done. His stomach was tied in a knot. Sasuke was right when he had dumped him.

"...but then he and I would still be acting weird towards one another," the brunette said in a strained voice. "I don't know how I should feel about you," he complained. "I'm grateful for what's happened but I'm terrified of what could've been," he confessed, massaging his forehead.

"Sasuke, I'm happy for you," the blonde replied. "And I'm sorry, you're a great guy, and I doubt I'll ever meet someone as great as you-"

"This sounds like a break up speech," Sasuke snorted. He smelled of wine. Naruto didn't know that the man was drinking wine. Maybe this was why he never complimented any of his cocktails.

"You broke up with me, and you were right to do so," the blonde replied, forcing a smile on his face. It didn't work too well. Not with his teary eyes. "But I mean it, Sasuke. I regret what I've done because now I've lost my chance at being with you but, simultaneously, I'm happy that it did work," he explained. "I mean, you should be happier now, and I want you to be happy-"

"They say that hell is paved with good intentions," Sasuke sighed. He looked sad and tired. And confused. The look didn't suit him.

"They're right," Naruto admitted.

"...I have to think this through," the brunette murmured, finally averting his gaze. His features softened, hard lines disappearing from his face. He looked much younger now. Maybe it was genetics. Naruto wouldn't sell him alcohol now. "...so I did break up with you but," Sasuke stopped, probably trying to find the right words, "...you can pretend it's a separation, and not a definite end. If you want to," he offered.

Naruto almost leaped with joy. That was way more than he was hoping for. "Sure," he agreed before Sasuke could change his mind, refraining himself from kissing the man. He had no idea how separation worked like but he didn't want to breach Sasuke's boundaries _again_. "You won't regret that," the blonde promised. His ex sent him a faint smile. He looked as if he was already regretting it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, holy shit, it was a whole month, wasn't it
> 
> daaamn
> 
> i'm /so/ sorry. like, you know, i was extremely busy. studies and all that jazz. and this chapter was super hard to write for whatever reasons. i was rewriting it again and again, and again, and damn, i think it still sucks. SORRY. Also, I have some reviews I have to reply to, and please, forgive me for not doing it earlier, i've really disappeared from the online life for the last month, so...ugh, sorry.
> 
> also, do you know what inspired me to write this story? a girl, whose name I don't know, threw up on my pillow. yup. that's it. so curse her, not me :D


	24. Chapter 24

"You know what?" Naruto asked in a whiny voice, simultaneously trying to make a combo and failing. Gaara side-eyed him, as if inviting him to continue. "After all it took to convince my friends that Sasuke wasn't some stupid jerk, he dumps me, and now they hate him again," he complained. The redhead knocked him down. And, as if to embarrass him furthermore, finished him with some lame kick, deciding against doing a fatality. Naruto glared daggers at him when the man didn't start a new match, simply holding the controller in his hand.

"Maybe they're right," he replied in a monotone voice. "From my point of view, Sasuke's a pretty face with a bad attitude," he continued, ignoring Naruto's pleading eyes.

"Not you too," he whined. "Everyone's saying that he shouldn't have dumped me, that he's a massive jerk, and that I'm better off without him," he grunted. "What's gotten into all of you? Like, I think I did screw up, I mean... I  _knew_  how important Itachi is to him, and I still took a gamble-"

"Why do you like him?" Gaara questioned, calm as ever. "He's attractive but that's pretty much it, isn't it? Maybe you're just attached to him because he was your first boyfriend," he suggested, studying Naruto. "You don't like his friends, he doesn't like yours," he started enumerating. "He's a selfish prick, you're always worrying about others. Even your sexual preferences are mismatched-"

"There's  _plenty_  to like about him," the blonde protested.

"Like what?" the redhead inquired.

"I... He... He needs me," he blurted out.

"So you like him because he needs you," Gaara uttered, as if weighing every word. "So actually you're both dicks," he snorted. Naruto rolled his eyes. "I mean it," the man said in a more serious tone. "You like him because he's dependant on you," he reworded Naruto's answer. "You've said he was surprised he still wanted to be with you after you've dared to fix his family life. So, are you charmed by the fact that he can't run away from you?"

" _No_ , that would be awful," Naruto barked.

"It is awful but it's also true," Gaara replied. "This makes me wonder why you thought Hinata was so terrible. There was literally nothing she wouldn't have forgiven you," he mused. "You want people to be yours, and he was allowing you this. You were crossing one boundary after another, as if you were checking how much he can take," he sighed. "But, you know, he's still a douche. This relationship isn't good for any of you. This is why you've lost your job, and he's gotten you into trouble on more than one occasion. Forget about him, and tell him to do the same-"

"I  _like_  him," the blonde protested.

"You're unable to name even one thing you like about him," Gaara retorted. "You don't like  _him_ , you like the fact that  _he likes you_."

"He's smart," Naruto tried.

"I'm not asking you about his good qualities but the ones you like him for. And sorry for being this direct but you two weren't exactly discussing anything too complicated, and I doubt that him being smart really matters to you," he interrupted his friend. The blonde gulped. Gaara was right, wasn't he?

"He laughs, when he's with me," he started again. "There are moments when he's actually sharing his emotions, and now he kind of expects me to take care of him when he's drunk out of his mind," he chuckled. "And... I think he gets me. He knows what it's like to grow up without parents-"

"You're saying that as if it was the only thing bonding the two of you," the redhead sighed. He finally started a new match. Naruto hummed, trying to think of a character that would be able to counter Gaara's. "And the rest of what you've said... You're making it sound as if you were the only person he could open up to. So he  _needs you_. Whatever. What about you? Seriously, Naruto, what's in it for you?"

"Shouldn't love be selfless?" the blonde whined. He was slowly getting annoyed. He would have confessed his worries to Sakura but she was probably way too biased to give him a good advice. And now Gaara was... Naruto had no idea what bit the man but he seemed extremely irritable.

"Yeah, if you're a god, who's willing to die for others' sins," the redhead snickered. "It's always selfish. But right now it seems that you like him because he suffers from the Stockholm syndrome, and he likes you because you're willing to survive his stupid outbursts.  _Really_ romantic-"

"Where did you get the Stockholm syndrome from? Damn, it's not like I'm keeping him trapped somewhere in the basement, like, that would be totally crazy," Naruto protested.

"Fine, I might've overdone it," the man relented. "But, like I've said - you've made him need you and that's what you really like about him," he stated knowingly. "And he needs you because you're being his doormat, and that makes you a member of a  _very small_  group of people, who are willing to be friends with him-"

"He's called me a doormat once," Naruto admitted. "But he's not this bad," he added. "Like, he's really cool if you get to know him better-"

Gaara raised his almost nonexistent eyebrows to express his doubts.

"Seriously," the blonde cried. "He's funny. And he works super hard even though he doesn't always have to. Like with German. He doesn't have to go to classes and take notes, he already knows it all, and he's still doing it. That's kind of cute, right?"

"...super cute," Gaara snorted. "But see? He's called you a doormat. Even he's able to see it-"

"He's said I'm too nice, and he's too mean," the blonde continued even though every word hurt him. Perhaps they really were mismatched. The worst possible couple.

"So you're both messed up. At least  _he_  is able to see it," Gaara replied. Now he sounded sorry. As if Naruto's and Sasuke's union was already over. The blonde let go off the controller, unable to focus on the game. He didn't want it to end like this. Didn't Sasuke say that they were unbreakable? Didn't they say they were in love with one another? Didn't they help each other whenever the need arose?

He slumped on the ground, embracing his curled up legs. Gaara ruffled his hair in some weak attempt to comfort him. It was fruitless.

"Naruto, you know each other how long? Four months? And you've been together for one or so-"

"So what?" the blonde mumbled out, feeling offended.

"So it wasn't anything big or serious. Let it go-"

"I'm one with the wind and sky," he sung in a pathetic voice. "This song isn't  _this_  happy. Like, you know, after singing it she was living alone with some ice monsters-"

"Naruto-"

"And I don't have any cool powers, so it's not like I'm going to get a makeover-"

"Nar-"

"I'm more like that guy with the reindeer. Minus the princess. And the reindeer," he sighed.

"Are you done?" Gaara asked, visibly suppressing a chuckle. The blonde nodded, letting out a sad huff. "The world didn't end, you're just  _single_ ," the man murmured as if he was talking to a small child. "You were single when I met you, and you were a complete person. There's no need to grieve for Sasuke. Especially since he's-"

"A dick," Naruto completed the sentence, completely deflated. "But what if he's not-"

"He is," Gaara assured his friend. "And there are other people, you know. People, who aren't messed up dicks-"

"Sounds like you," Naruto sighed. The redhead had asked him out already. Actually, it was the first thing he did when he learned that Sasuke and Naruto were no longer together. The blonde declined his offer, saying that Sasuke wanted them to give everything a rest, and that it wasn't a total breakup but now this situation lasted for a month already. And it didn't look as if it was about to change. What was even worse, Sasuke decided that Ino was his BFF. Or so it seemed. He probably didn't call her his BFF. Perhaps she was calling him a sweetheart. Naruto felt jealous. And stupid for being jealous. "I need a  _friend_  right now," the blonde complained. "And now I'm starting to think you just want to score me-"

"I'm starting to think you're a masochist," Gaara whispered. "I'm a nice guy, I don't have any family drama, and I like to think I'm attractive enough. Also - this is probably a real treat for you - I don't get angry over nothing. What is more, I think there's more people like me," he sighed. "So it's not me trying to score you, it's me being a friend. You can date whomever you wish, we'll still be friends."

"You are a nice guy," Naruto agreed. "And you are good-looking," he added.

"But?" the man asked, audibly resigned.

"But I want  _Sasuke_ ," Naruto whined. "It's a torture when we're going out together, and I have to pretend I don't want to be all over him-"

"Jack off," Gaara advised flatly. "You just want to get laid. It's not love," he muttered.

"I  _am_  jacking off. Hell, I think my hand is about to fall off," he cried. Gaara studied the said hand. Then he shook his head, a faint smile lingering on his lips. "And it's not just that. There are so many things I want to ask him, and we're like... Not even friends. We're like two people, who know each other. It's awkward, okay?"

"So you don't even have anything to talk about when you're not fucking-"

"That's  _so_  not true," Naruto protested. "I'm even running with him on Thursdays and Sundays. And sometimes we're working together," he continued. "Orochimaru isn't this bad. He's super creepy but an okay guy. I didn't know it was possible. I mean, to be both creepy and okay. And I've talked Sasuke into a Star Wars marathon. And then I regretted it. I've never thought I'd tear up at fucking  _Star Wars_ ," he complained. "And he made a point of pointing out every inconsistency," he sighed. "He ruined these movies for me. But it was still fun. And that was the worst. Like, what is he waiting for?" Gaara simply shrugged his shoulders. Naruto rested his head against the couch.

"You sound like friends," the redhead admitted, sitting next to Naruto. "Why are you saying you aren't ones?"

"Because earlier I could ask him literally anything. I'm not saying that he would always answer, but I  _really_  could ask him anything. And now... I'd feel as if I was going too far. So I don't know much apart from what he tells me on his own. And, like, you know, he's not too talkative when it comes to him."

"What was the deal with him and his brother?" Gaara questioned. Naruto gulped. He didn't like lying but there was no way he'd tell the truth. "I bet he's overreacting-"

"I think they were  _both_  overreacting," he said. "You know, it was just an old quarrel but it's kind of personal, so-"

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead snorted. "Who knew you were this good with secrets," he laughed. "It's rather hard to judge when I don't know everything but I still think he's bringing out the worst in you," he stated in a hushed voice. "Maybe you're better friends than you were lovers."

"We wouldn't have been friends if he wasn't living with Neji," the blonde sighed. "Damn, maybe we really are mismatched. Then  _why_  do I want him?"

"Because he likes you," Gaara repeated. "And since he's made you believe that it's something special, you don't want to lose it," he continued. "It's not love, it's co-dependency."

"So you're saying we  _need_  each other," Naruto said. Gaara rolled his eyes.

"No, you don't," he complained. "You're just... You  _are_  a little bit compatible," he admitted. "Your messed-upnesses are compatible," he clarified. "He wants someone to accept him for what he is, and you want someone, who will need you. But it's nothing good," he said, watching the blonde from the corner of his aquamarine eyes. "You can't go on forgiving him everything, he has to take some responsibility for his actions. When it comes to you... You have to learn to let go. Look, it was fun while it lasted but now it's in the past-"

"Like, wow, you've missed your call when you've been choosing your major," Naruto laughed, trying to think through what Gaara had said. "So you're saying that I'll  _always_  forgive him, and that he'll  _always_  come back to me-"

"Yeah. Sounds fucked up, doesn't it?" Gaara inquired.

"But you're wrong about him," the blonde sighed. "He didn't come back. And I don't think that he will."

* * *

 

"He shouldn't be an archeologist. Look, he's just destroyed that coffin. Why isn't he in a jail?" Sasuke whined, throwing one of his arms in the air and almost spilling his beer (and it was an actual beer, and not some horse piss at that) on Naruto's bed. They were watching a movie on the blonde's laptop.

The past month was weird. Sasuke knew he should have told Naruto that there was no point in continuing this but he wasn't able to bring himself to it. He remembered the blonde from before they had gotten together - he used to be somewhat annoying but he definitely wasn't a sad person. And now... Now it was one fake smile after another. Sai was probably right. They shouldn't had been together.

"Stop ruining classics for me," Naruto laughed, side-eying the other man. "He can do this because he's cool. Besides, he has a whip and he knows how to use it. You should be a huge fan," he teased. Sasuke smirked at the words. It was mostly painful. He missed the touch. He missed Naruto.

"He's way too straight for me," he replied to make the illusion last a little bit longer.  _Then_  he would say his goodbyes.

"...Sasuke?" the blonde whispered, practically stuttering. Sasuke turned his head at him to let him know that he was listening. "People keep saying it was a mistake. That  _we_  were a mistake."

"I see," he sighed. So he wouldn't be allowed to cherish the moment. He would have to let go off this immediately. It wasn't like him. It had always been Naruto, who was stalling, and trying to wait things out.

"Do you agree with this?" the blonde questioned.

"I'm biased, my opinion shouldn't matter-"

"It  _does_  matter. Like, seriously, it's about me and you, our opinions should be the most important ones," he muttered. "You've dumped me because I did something stupid but you're still hanging out with me so you can't be  _this_  mad at me-"

"I'm not," the brunette admitted.

"But you think you  _should_  be," Naruto suggested. Sasuke nodded.

"What about you?" he asked.

"It's not fair," the blonde replied. "You've said I can find myself new friends while you can't find yourself a new brother, and that's technically true but I literally don't have any family. My friends are like family to me-"

"I know," Sasuke murmured. "I panicked, and I was thinking only about myself. But you have to admit that what you've done with Itachi wasn't a smart move," he added. The archeologist from the movie was kissing his blond girlfriend. It sounded as if they hated each other. "I... I regret dumping you. And shouting at you. And most of the things I've said," he confessed. "But Itachi is literally my everything. I can't afford to lose him-"

"You didn't," Naruto pointed out.

"I  _know_ ," the brunette sighed. "But I could have. You'd go your way, and I'd be left alone," he explained. "And then there's you," he started. "You're not happy with me," he noted. "You were right about Hinata being my fault. It was. If it wasn't for me, you'd keep on being happy-"

"And I wouldn't know that she was stalking me," Naruto interrupted him. "Eventually, I think it was for the best. Now she's fine, and all it took was some inconveniences."

"You've lost your job because of me," Sasuke reminded the other man.

"A shitty job I didn't like," the blonde smiled. "And it was pretty much my fault. I hit Kiba. And I've agreed to having sex with you in there. Can't say I regret it," he chuckled. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I've made out with Karin, and I didn't feel sorry for it," he continued.

"I'm still angry about this one," the man admitted. "But next week the whole city is going to see my junk, so..."

"I doubt this many people will come," Sasuke snorted. "After all, it's Sai," he laughed. "But still, you're never angry at me. And I'm messing up  _a lot_ ," he said. "I can't drink, and I get angry all the time. I would've dumped myself. No, wait. I wouldn't have  _dated_  myself in the first place. It must have been a nightmare," he snickered.

"Especially with that flat ass of yours," Naruto chortled, earning himself a nudge in the ribs. "It wasn't so bad with you, you know? When it was good, it was really good," he sighed. "That's what makes it so difficult."

"But when it was bad, it was really bad," Sasuke replied in a hushed tone. "People are right, Naruto. I'm not good for you," he stated, smiling bitterly at his ex. "We should just forget that it's ever happened. Under normal circumstances, we probably wouldn't even be friends," he added.

"...do you  _want_  to forget it?" Naruto asked him. Sasuke felt inclined to lie but he wasn't able to. He shook his head in defeat. "Me neither," the man sighed.

"It's for the best," he argued. Somehow,  _the best_  didn't feel too good. Actually, it felt pretty darn awful. There were things only Naruto was able to give him, and giving them up wasn't an easy thing to do. If there was anyone, who would be able to take  _all_  of Sasuke, it had to be him. Nobody else was insane enough. Nobody else would make Sasuke feel as if there wasn't anything wrong with him. Only Naruto.

"The best sucks," the blonde complained. His hand reached out to Sasuke's. Their fingers intertwined, almost shyly. As if they had never touched one another. The brunette turned his head to the other man. If he was to lean in just a little bit closer, he would be able to kiss him. One last kiss. It was all he was asking for. Just this once. And then... And then he would... "I don't want this to be over," Naruto whined. "I know we could make this work. I'm able to take you at your worst-"

"This doesn't sound like a good idea," Sasuke replied.

"It's not like you're the only screwed up mind around here," the man stated as if he was saying something obvious.

"Naruto, I'm serious," Sasuke interrupted him. "I don't want you to have to be able to take me at my worst," he explained. "I don't want to  _be_  at my worst but you're letting me-"

"I see your point," Naruto relented. His grip on Sasuke's hand tightened. The movie archeologist was currently destroying another priceless treasure. It was quite fitting for the talk they were having. "So... What now? We're over? Just like this?"

"What, you want some goodbye sex?" Sasuke tried to joke. None of them laughed. "It's... It's not so easy. I can't say I actually want it," he said.

"Then why are we doing it?"

"Tough question," he laughed. "Because it's the right thing to do?"

"This sounds like something I'll regret for the rest of my life," the blonde chuckled. "Seriously. Let's just start over-"

"I'm Sasuke. We're studying together, and I never threw up on you," he interrupted the other man, who beamed at him.

"Hi there, Sasuke. I'm Naruto, you have a great ass, and I'm definitely not straight," the blonde replied, grinning. His hand embraced Sasuke's as if it never wanted to let go off it.

"...that's not how the story went," Sasuke whispered. "You can't fix everything by pretending that it didn't happen."

"This is what I do," Naruto sighed. "I forgave Neji, Hinata and Sakura. If I were to hold a grudge against you, then I would have to do the same for them to keep everything fair. Hell, Iruka has some sins as well. Forgiven but not forgotten, wasn't it? Just... Let's agree that we'll both try to not screw up this time."

"What if we will screw up? They say you shouldn't be giving too many second chances-"

"This is the first and last second chance-"

"It's not," Sasuke argued. "It's not the first one. Remember? After that talk with Hinata? We've screwed up back then."

"...Gaara was right," Naruto muttered in a terrified voice.

"About what?" the brunette questioned.

"He said that I'm going to forgive you everything, and that you're unable to run away from me," he replied. "He said that our messed-upnesses are compatible-"

"It's not a real word," Sasuke sighed. The annoying redhead really was right. This was their whole relationship summed up in just one sentence. "See? We shouldn't be together. It's not good for us. There would be more second chances. I've said it already. You're too nice, and I'm too mean."

"...I can be mean," the blonde whined. "I was really thoughtless with Hinata, I mean, people were calling me out on it all the time. Even you were doing it. Right from the beginning. And I've already seen you being nice," he added. "You've helped me out with Hinata. And you've even accepted her apology. And you've helped me with job. And with German. And you... Whenever I asked for something, you were saying  _yes_."

"And now you're asking me to give it a try again," Sasuke said. "I'm tempted to say  _yes_  but it'll be better for you if I won't-"

"I am able to make my own decisions," Naruto grunted. "I want you. All of you. If you're saying  _no_ , then at least think of yourself and not me. I mean it when I say I can take you at your worst. You don't have to bottle everything up when you're with me. And excuse me, but when I don't like something, I do inform you of it. It's not like I'm the victim here-"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Sasuke asked. He let go off the blonde's hand. "Look, you don't like me when I'm angry-"

"We can work on this. Take some anger management classes, and let's be off with it-"

"Well, you're not assertive enough," Sasuke blurted out. Then he felt stupid for it. It wasn't a contest. There wouldn't be any winners. "The thing is that you don't like it when I'm angry, and I'm not surprised by it, okay? I'm difficult, even Neji knew it. And you say you can take it but you  _can't_. You'll just try to keep me happy, just like you were doing it before. And this isn't about you keeping me happy. It should be about you. You should be happy with me but you're not. And there's nothing I can do about it," he barked.

"This doesn't even sound like you," Naruto mumbled out in disbelief. "I  _was_  happy with you," he protested.

"Remember when we were at my aunt's?" Sasuke asked. He felt tired. The blonde nodded, so he continued. "That moment when I told my friends they should all leave? First of all, you thought it was about you as well, and it didn't make you angry but  _sad_. Second of all - my aunt wasn't home, so they wouldn't leave unless Juugo walked them out. I knew it, and they knew it. You're too sensitive for me, you're making me feel guilty-"

"Sorry-"

" _This_  is what I'm talking about. You're always saying you're sorry. When I met you, you stole my t-shirt, and you refused to give it back. And now... You know what they say. With great power comes great responsibility," he chuckled. "And I'm not a responsible person.  _Or_  this is me trying to be responsible-"

"So it's settled," Naruto muttered. He didn't sound happy. Or sad. He looked angry. Well, this was an improvement. The movie was already over. And so was their relationship. "Look, you wanted me to be angry at you. Fine, I  _am_  angry. You were calling me out for my passivity when it came to dealing with Hinata but you yourself didn't do anything about your brother for over  _five years_.  _I_  was stalling just for a couple of weeks. And now you're running away from the problems again. Because you're afraid. I love you, Sasuke. I dare to say that I love you unconditionally," he said. "It doesn't mean that I'll be with you regardless of anything because I  _won't_. But, you see, we may not know each other for too long but I think I know about you more than your friends, brother and aunt. And the fact that I'm still here terrifies you. I think you believe you shouldn't be loved, and now you're just trying to prove it to me-"

"Or  _maybe_  I'm just trying to end something that doesn't have any future," Sasuke snapped.

"What about that past month, Sasuke?" Naruto questioned. "The only thing different from when we were still together is the lack of physical contact-"

"If you just want to get laid, go ahead," the brunette growled. The other man sighed, shaking his head.

"I just want you to see that it  _can_  work. We  _can_  be good together. But you'd have to actually  _want_  it," he whispered. Sasuke closed his eyes. This wasn't how he imagined their talk. Neither of them was reasonable. And at least one of them should.

"You're giving me something I don't deserve," he started in a shaky voice. "Do you have any idea how much it will hurt when I'll lose it? When you'll  _finally_  realize I'm not worth it?"

"So you prefer to give it up?" the blonde inquired. He seemed calm. Too calm for Sasuke's liking. "I think you do deserve it, by the way. And you  _are_  worth it. Besides, isn't it better to lose something than to never have it?"

"...from my experience - no," he replied. The blonde stared at him in confusion. He probably understood what Sasuke was getting at because he reached out to him, inviting him for a hug. This wasn't a good idea. Naruto was like a drug, and Sasuke knew he had an addictive personality. He rested his head on the other man's shoulder. The blonde didn't smell like Itachi anymore but the scent was still irresistible. "It's not about giving it up. It's about preserving it."

"And yet I feel as if I was losing you," the man murmured. His warm hand found its way into Sasuke's hair, and started to massage his scalp. "One last time," he pleaded. "I'm not going to disappear if it won't work out-"

"Naruto," Sasuke sighed, "you fail to think of yourself, and you need someone, who will do it for you. I'm not this person," he explained. The hand in his hair stopped moving.

"That's not true," Naruto disagreed. "You didn't try to solve the Hinata issue for yourself. You didn't come with me to Iruka because you wanted to. The same is probably true about my meetings with your aunt and brother," he started enumerating. "There's also sex. Like, you're doing all kinds of stuff for me. And you've embarrassed us in front of our study group," he laughed. "Honestly, if we were to start counting good deeds, I think you've done more for me than I for you," he concluded. "So don't make yourself into some kind of a heartless monster, like, you were there for me whenever I needed it."

"I'm trying to do the right thing," Sasuke complained, straightening his back and moving away from the blonde.

"Sasuke, you know, we can't really compare our experiences but when it comes to having something and losing it or not having it at all... I was always jealous of you. You knew your parents and you still have your family, and that's really amazing," he confessed. "So sometimes I think you're not even half as thankful as you should be," he concluded. "I'm not saying that you have it nice and easy-"

"I know," the brunette interrupted him.

"I don't think you do," the man disagreed. "I think I was  _extremely_  lucky to have been adopted, especially this early," he continued. "Look, I used to work as a volunteer at the orphanage, and I saw what it does to the kids, okay? Believe me, each and every one of them would be happy to change places with you-"

"If you wanted me to feel guilty, you've succeeded," Sasuke replied. "See, I'm just a whiny bitch-"

"No, you're not," the blonde protested, furrowing his eyebrows. "Just try to listen, all right? It's not about making you feel guilty because, honestly, your situation sucks as well. And this isn't a contest of who has it worse-"

"You've been just arguing that you have it worse," Sasuke pointed out in a tired voice. "Maybe you do. There's no way for me to know," he added against his better judgment.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Naruto dismissed him. Sasuke opened his mouth to say that if the blonde was so carefree about the whole deal, then losing something definitely had to feel worse than not having it but he decided against it. There was no point. It would just hurt the other man. "It's just... Look, I'm not giving up on you. Gaara's said that I like you because you like me but I don't think he's right," Naruto continued, a boyish grin on his face. "I mean... It's not like you're the only person who likes me-"

"Humble much?" Sasuke snorted. The blonde rolled his eyes at the remark.

"It's true," the man retorted. "Then he said that it's because you've made me believe that it was something special that happens only once a blue moon-"

"How awful of me," the brunette muttered. "I wish I was aware of doing it. Perhaps then my life wouldn't be a complete mess-"

" _Now_  you're whining," Naruto laughed. Sasuke huffed in annoyance, trying to keep the corners of his mouth from curling upwards. "But the thing is... There are many people like you. Even Hinata doesn't like just  _everyone_ ," the blonde argued. Sasuke bit the insides of his cheeks. He had believed that they were done with comparing him to Hinata but, apparently, they weren't. "And then there's Gaara, Neji-"

"So I'm nothing special-"

"Exactly!" Naruto shouted in victory. Then he smacked his forehead. "No, wait, I didn't mean it like  _that_ -"

"I know," Sasuke assured the man, who pouted at him. "Somehow, whenever we're discussing anything even half difficult, you become really patronizing," he complained. "I feel as if you weren't taking me and what I'm saying seriously," he added.

"...because I know you don't mean it," the blonde explained, rubbing the back of his head. "Let me finish first," he pleaded, probably noticing that Sasuke wanted to say something. "The thing is that Gaara was wrong about my reasons for liking you. I feel good with you. I don't have to hide anything," he said, stuttering at the end. "I mean... I'm never ashamed when I'm with you," he said. "I've told you things nobody else knows about, and, like, you were always a really good listener? And you haven't made fun of me even once. Not when it mattered, at least," he concluded, sending the brunette a sheepish smile.

"You haven't told me anything laughable," Sasuke replied. "If we're counting only the important stuff, of course-"

"See? And I really trust you," he continued. "Like, I know I can count on you, and I know that you'll have my back regardless of what happens," he stated.

"I'm merely returning the favor," the brunette protested. "It's nothing special-"

"For me it  _is_  special," Naruto disagreed with a grunt. Suddenly, Sasuke understood why Sai would want to paint him. His face was far more expressive than any human being's should be. Now the blonde looked upset and somewhat embarrassed but there was also some other emotion. "And when it comes to me being patronizing… Whenever you're shouting at me, it feels as if you were angrier at yourself than you're at me, and I guess you just can't yell at yourself because, like, you'd need a split personality or something to do it, and I simply don't take it personally."

"So you admit you're not treating me seriously," Sasuke barked in reply. Naruto rolled his eyes, smiling at him.

"I do treat you seriously, and I listen to what you're saying but, honestly, it really doesn't feel as you were actually angry at  _me_. It's more as if you were confused about what or whom you're angry at, and since I'm the only one present, you kind of vent it on me. It's annoying but bearable," he said. "Like, I know I'm not perfect either so it never really bothered me. The fact that you get angry so easily, I mean. And I never wanted to come off as patronizing but there's no point in me getting angry as well, so.." he trailed off, looking away. "You know what?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head to let the other man know that he was incapable of mind reading. "Sometimes, I think you're dwelling on the past too much, like… with your room."

"What's wrong with my room?" Sasuke inquired against his better judgment. Naruto pursed his lips, evidently thinking something through. "What's wrong with my room?" the brunette repeated the question.

"Like… it's been like ten years since… you know what," he started. His choice of words had Sasuke facepalming. This felt childish. The man was clearly meaning the fire and the death of his parents, and yet he chose to speak of it as if he was some goddamn Harry Potter. No, wait. Even Harry Potter used Voldemort's actual name. "And since you've moved in with your aunt," the blonde continued, clearly unaware of Sasuke's growing irritation. "But your room looks like a hotel one," he concluded, evidently happy with himself. "As if you weren't living there but rather… staying," he added.

"I don't live there anymore," Sasuke pointed out. He didn't say that nothing's really changed. His room had always looked like that.

"Well, okay, fine, I still think I'm right but whatever. Then… there's Itachi. You haven't moved on at all. Like, your relationship with him still looks as if you were fourteen, and, damn, you're not," he stated. The brunette glared at Naruto. "I don't know, like, it feels as you've reached some… I don't know, a state that's  _good enough_ , and you're willing to not change anything at all because then it might get worse or something," he explained. "But it could also get  _better_  but you're not going to see if it will because… damn, I've lost my train of thought," the blonde chuckled.

"I've lived in three different places since the beginning of the academic year," Sasuke protested. "I'm not afraid of changes," he grunted. He was guessing that this was what Naruto was getting at.

"Yeah but these are the things that don't matter," the blonde replied.

"I've introduced you to my brother and aunt. I've never done it before with anyone else," Sasuke said. Naruto sent him a warm smile. That wasn't the reaction he wanted. He wanted Naruto to admit that he was wrong. Even if he wasn't. "This was new to me," he argued.

"I had  _no_  idea," the blonde beamed at him. "None of them said anything, like, if it was like this with Iruka and me, he would've embarrassed me into the outer space," he laughed. "Not that I'd really mind but, still, you know, your family's pretty cool," he whispered. "But, coming back to the main topic - I appreciate it a lot but you weren't risking anything when you were doing it," he said.

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows together. Was the blonde implying that he was a coward? Was he a coward? This didn't sit right with him. And he definitely wasn't just  _waiting_ , this was Naruto's domain... Sasuke studied the other man as if he was expecting he would find an answer written on his face. To his disappointment, there was nothing. He knew why he had dumped Naruto, and he had already admitted to himself that his reasons were rather stupid. He also knew why he couldn't be with him again. And he was certain that this time he was right.

He had thought through their entire acquaintanceship and realized that in the end he had no idea why Naruto liked him or was in love with him. Sai had supplied him with a miserably probable answer - the blonde was being delusional, seeing something that wasn't there. This wouldn't end well. They would both get hurt. Naruto, when he'd finally see that he had been wrong this whole time, and Sasuke when it would happen. The only way to preserve it was to end it now. This way, the illusion could last-

Only, Sasuke didn't like illusions. He breathed in, feeling as if he was about to dive and remain breathless for way longer than his body could take. "Fine," he rasped. Naruto stared at him, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "I'm saying  _yes_  again," Sasuke croaked. The blonde embraced him tightly, and while it felt wonderful to finally be touched by him, Sasuke's throat tightened at the impeding doom. It was the beginning of the end, and it hurt more than he was willing to admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo.... this was another long break, wasn't it.  
> Welp, sorry.
> 
> I'm having huge troubles with writing this fic because I want their relationship to be both healthy and canon-ish, and that's practically impossible to achieve. Seriously. So, yeah, excuse me for the unhealthy elements. They're going to stay. Also, you know, they're making an effort, so it's not /this/ bad, I hope.
> 
> And yeaaah, this chapter is all talk. Don't worry, though. There'll be more action in the next one. Also, I think this fic will have three more chapters tops. So we're finally nearing the end, phew. It was a long ride. 
> 
> AND SORRY FOR NOT REPLYING AND STUFF. This time I'm back for serious, I promise.
> 
> (Also, the reward for the least imaginative title goes to me :D)


	25. Chapter 25

"See, I've told you I'll have a date for the big day," Naruto stated triumphantly, raising his and Sasuke's connected hands for Sai to see. The artist merely shook his head. Naruto was far more interested in his boyfriend's reaction but Sasuke seemed aloof. He had been like this for the past week. The blonde swallowed a disappointed sigh, and put a huge grin on his face. Right now it should be about Sai. He'd talk to Sasuke later.

That wasn't what he _wanted_ to do. He'd rather leave the exhibition and ask what was going on. But that wouldn't be fair. He's been trying to persuade himself that Sasuke was an assertive person who wouldn't do something against his will but with every passing day the gnaw at the back of Naruto's mind was becoming more prominent. Something wasn't right. And he'd have to find out what it was asap.

"I take it that you're not the only artist in here," Sasuke muttered instead of congratulating his former flatmate. Sai nodded, walking up to them. Naruto hugged the man, patting him on his back. "So where's your opus vitae?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm pretty certain you'll recognize it when you'll see it," Sai replied happily.

"Yeah, Sasuke, we have to see _all_ of it. Besides, being in an art gallery is a pretty sophisticated date, so, like, you know, we should enjoy it," the blonde lectured. "And there's free wine, so-"

"Getting trashed in an art gallery is anything but sophisticated," Sasuke snorted. Good. This was the first time he showed any sign of humor. Naruto smiled back, leading his date to one of the many pictures. "What's that supposed to be?" Sasuke questioned, staring at a blotted painting. Naruto shrugged his shoulders. He wouldn't know. Although he had to admit that the colors were pretty. "Climax," Sasuke read the title out loud. "I guess... There's something to it," he admitted.

"If you're getting such vision when you're cumming, you should check your eyes," Naruto chuckled. Sasuke gently elbowed his side. They still haven't had sex. They kept getting _close_ to having sex, Naruto saw how desperate Sasuke's been at times but… Sasuke was also the one, who was stopping them from fucking each other. Naruto wouldn't have minded it if it wasn't for the fact that Sasuke was coming up with some random excuses instead of saying that he didn't feel like having sex. Naruto would ask him about it, Sasuke would call him an idiot, and then the cycle would repeat.

It's been just a week since they got back together but there wasn't even half as many rainbows and flowers as Naruto had anticipated. It seemed as if there were two different Sasukes. One, who wanted to date Naruto, and one, who didn't. These two were clashing almost every hour. It was a rather worrying sign. Their situation was worrying.

“Ah,” Sasuke huffed, suddenly coming to a halt, and intently glaring at a painting. A waiter walked pass him, so he grabbed another glass of wine. “So this is it,” he muttered.

“Yeah,” Naruto chirped back. “It’s one of them,” he clarified, studying the painting. It was the one Sasuke’s seen Sai paint. “Like, I think he's super talented but the things he paints are rather random, you know?”

“Perhaps,” Sasuke agreed. He didn't sound too convinced. “You know you might end up hanging in someone’s living room, right?”

“We could buy it for Kiba, I bet he'd be thrilled,” Naruto joked. Someone patted him on the shoulder. He turned his head to see Neji, Rock and Sakura.

“You look very youthful,” Rock complimented him. Naruto snorted in reply, uncertain how he should feel about his friends seeing his dick. “Hello there, Sasuke,” Rock greeted him. “I know the last time we’ve seen each other wasn't too pleasant but I'm sure we can put it behind us, so all of us can be friends again!” Rock exclaimed, showing Sasuke a thumbs up.

“Right,” Sasuke deadpanned.

“I wanted to apologize to you too,” Nejichimed in. “For hitting you, and for not believing you when you've told me about Hinata. I shouldn't have dismissed it like that—“

“It’s fine,” Sasuke interrupted him. Naruto watched the whole scene, ridiculously grateful to his friends. He doubted that Sasuke and them would ever grow close but all of them made an effort to show that there weren't any hard feelings.

“What are you all doing here?” Naruto asked in a cheerful voice.

“Er, Hinata told us,” Sakura sighed. Naruto just stared at her in shock. “I, uh, I told her we wanted to see you two to _talk_ but you weren’t accepting our invitations, and, well, she suggested we come here—“

Sasuke's hand squeezed Naruto’s. Naruto wasn't certain whether it was Sasuke comforting him or stopping himself from flipping out but he welcomed the touch all the same. He squeezed the cold hand back, as if to say he didn't like it just as much as Sasuke. Being upset together was easier.

“I just wanted her to have someone supporting her, so this is why I stopped coming,” Naruto explained himself. He didn't want to talk about his ex. He wished he could avoid the topic for the rest of his life.

“Anyways,” Neji coughed to clear his throat.

“Stop talking about Naruto with _Hinata_ ,” Sasuke snapped. Ah, so it _was_ unavoidable. Rock sent him a sheepish grin, Sakura tried to escape with her eyes, Neji managed to withstood the other brunette's glare. “You’re just feeding her obsession—“

“Yes, please don't do it again,” Naruto chimed in. Sasuke breathed in, visibly somewhat placated. “So, like,” Naruto blabbered, wanting to change the subject, “uh, what are you up to these days?”

“We hoped we could go for a beer or two,” Sakura replied with a warm smile. “Withboth of you,” she clarified.

“Oh,” Naruto mumbled out. “We'll get in touch with you then,” he laughed. He had no idea whether Sasuke felt like seeing his friends but he _definitely_ didn't feel like doing it right then. They were in a rather rough patch of their relationship, so mixing in other people when everything was so fragile, seemed like a terrible idea. “So, uh, see you around,” Naruto blurted out, hoping his friends would get the hint, and leave the two of them alone. At least for now. Sakura sent him a disappointed look but she forced a soft smile on her face, and nodded her head.

“I'm actually busy tonight, so you can just go ahead and have that beer,” Sasuke said unexpectedly. “I'll see myself to—“

“No,” Naruto interrupted him. “Sorry guys, I'll text you tomorrow, alright?” he promised, grabbing Sasuke's hand, and hauling him deeper into the room, away from others. “I'm almost one hundred percent certain you're _not_ busy,” he grunted. His boyfriend shook his head, and looked away. Naruto sighed. They were in a public place. He was present on some of the paintings. Naked. It wasn't a good spot for having a private conversation. Naruto mentally apologized to Sai, deciding that whatever was going on with Sasuke, was far more important than an art exhibition. “Let’s go back home,” he suggested.

“Sai's going to be disappointed if we leave,” Sasuke noted.

“I'll just tell him I wasn’t able to handle the fame,” the blonde joked. “Come, we need to talk.”

“I'll,” Sasuke paused, took a deep breath, and stared Naruto directly into the eyes, “Let’s stay here for a little longer. We can always talk later.”

“You seem unhappy about something,” Naruto whispered, so nobody could overhear them. “I don't want you to be unhappy for longer than it's necessary—“

“I'm good at being unhappy,” the brunette replied. This time he didn't insist on being called angry instead of sad or unhappy. Naruto squeezed the other man's arm, uncertain about how exactly he felt about that. “I can wait for a few more hours,” Sasuke insisted. “But it’s Sai's first exhibition, and you're his model, so it feels only right for you to not run away fifteen minutes after everything's started,” he added.

“You’re awfully considerate today,” Naruto noticed. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. “And now you're not even saying that nobody's ever said you couldn't be considerate, or that you're usually considerate, or that you're more considerate than I am because I'm just acting nice for recognition,” he panicked.Sasuke let out a muffled snort but his eyes remained sad. It was breaking Naruto's heart in two.

“Chill out,” Sasuke commanded. The blonde slowly nodded, rather uncertain whether this truly was the best time to chill out. It couldn’t be. The other man raised an eyebrow in a mute question. Naruto shook his head. Perhaps it really wasn't the _worst_ idea ever.

* * *

 

Coming to the art exhibition with Naruto was the worst idea ever. Being together with Naruto, and knowing it had to end was painful. Seeing his idiotic friends trying to make up with _both_ of them, when it really wasn't necessary to make up with Sasuke… it hurt. It all hurt. Sai looked as if he didn't believe that their relationship had any future, and Sai wasn't even aware of half the reasons why it didn’t.

“Were you actually fingering yourself when he was painting you?” Sasuke asked the blonde, studying the painting. It was… nice. Pornographic in nature, and perhaps not really art per se, but his eyes were drawn to it all the same. Naruto was shown lying on his back, his head upside down, his bronze legs spread apart, his arm strewn across his stomach, and his hand reaching between his buttocks. There were little drops of precum on his dick, and some more near his hip.

“Well, not really, it just looks like I am,” Naruto stuttered.

“Really?” Sasuke deadpanned. “What’s your dad going to say when he sees it?” He asked, reaching for yet another glass of wine. It was good wine. Crispy. Dry. Pink. Fresh. Free. Naruto sent him a bewildered look, and Sasuke could feel his throat tightening. He constantly felt as if he was awaiting being hit. Only this time he had no intention of hitting back.

“Uh, well, I told him I was posing nude for a friend but I think he imagined something else, and I kind of didn't correct him,” the blonde blurted out. “So please, don't mail him that picture, like, I know he won't be mad but he'll be _so_ embarrassed—“

“Why?”

“Why?!” Naruto repeated as if he couldn’t believe that anyone would actually ask him the question. “Because he's my _family_ , so it's kind of gross if he sees me like this,” he paused, his cheeks growing pink, “sorry.”

“For what?” Sasuke inquired. Then it hit him. He heaved a heavy sigh. Despite Itachi'sassurances, nothing's changed between the brothers. Perhaps it was already too late to change anything. Now their conversations were more fake than they were ever before. “I've told you it was a moment of madness,” he said. “But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It put a serious strain on my relationship with him.”

“I thought you were getting along better than before?” Naruto asked in that stupidly worried voice of his. There was no need for him to be worried.

“I guess,” he lied. The blonde eyed him, clearly not believing him. Sasuke was ready to lie some more but Naruto apparently gave up on squeezing the truth out of him. He probably thought it wasn't in the right place to have that conversation.

“I'm kind of surprised you're not jealous about Sai,” the man chirped, sounding way too cheery to make it believable. “I would've been jealous if it was you on this painting,” he confessed.

“Then why did you do it?” Sasuke asked before he could stop himself. He wasn't jealous. He was well aware of the fact that neither man was interested in the other romantically or sexually. They were just acquaintances. Given the time, they could become friends but that was the limit to how far their relationship would go. When it came to other people seeing Naruto like this… most of them had no idea who Naruto was. To them he was just a nameless model. As for those, who did know Naruto… they knew Naruto was his—

Soon that wouldn't be true. By then Sasuke won't have the right to be jealous.

“Uh, well,” the man stuttered, “you’ve already told me you were okay with it, and I really wanted to do it. It's not everyday that you get to pose for a real painter.”

Sasuke snorted. Naruto was disarmingly vain. “You wouldn't have done it if I asked you not to?”

“I think so,” the blonde admitted. “I mean, I wouldn't be okay with it, so I get why someone else might have their doubts about it. And it wasn’t _this_ important to me,” he continued. “It was just a fun and interesting thing to do. I think I'm done with modeling though. I’m not getting any younger, you know,” he joked.

“This one is my favorite,” Sai chimed in, startling the two. “They’re all for sale,” he informed them in an equally happy manner. Sasuke frowned at that. Sai's told him that Naruto and he had no future. “I could give you a discount~”

“Oh, I, well, there's no need,” Naruto mumbled out. “How’s everything going?”

“I'd say it's a success,” Sai replied. “People keep asking if you're my lover. I've told them you were to spice things up,” he snickered. Sasuke glared at the annoying artist. “They _love_ it. Especially since you two showed up together. Imagine the free publicity—“

“Take it back,” Sasuke demanded. He regretted ever considering Sai’s feelings. He didn't deserve _any_ consideration. Ever.

“Chill bro, I'm joking,” Sai sighed. “People have no idea that my model is even here. They're busy staring at the paintings,” he explained as if he was talking to a five-year-old. “Most of them have no idea who _I_ am,” he snorted.

“I can't say I'm surprised,” Sasuke hissed at his former flatmate.

“If I did say I used to date Naruto, you'd be perfect at playing the jealous boyfriend,” Sai mused.

"It’s not about me," Sasuke barked back.

"Sure it's not," Sai agreed with him just to agree with him. Sasuke gave up on continuing the topic. It was pointless. None of it would matter in due time. "Are you sure you don't want to buy anything?" The man asked Naruto. "You don't want any souvenirs?"

"There's no way I'd ever hang it on my wall," the blonde laughed. "I mean, like, imagine my friends were coming over," he said. "And then there'd be my dick hanging above the sofa. _Awkward_."

"Why?" Sai inquired. He looked sincerely confused.

"Um, because I'm pretty certain they didn't come to see my dick?" Naruto tried. "Like, if I came over to someone, and that someone had their dick on their wall, like, I wouldn't be able to look away."

"So?"

"Just give up," Sasuke advised Naruto.

"Take your own advice, bro,” Sai chirped, waved at them, and left them alone. Sasuke groaned. He's already forgotten just _how_ annoying the man was.

“What?” Naruto asked in a dumbfounded voice.

“No idea,” Sasuke lied, grabbing yet another glass. The wine was pleasantly buzzing in his head. Maybe this evening was still salvageable.

* * *

 

Naruto swallowed a heavy sigh. He should've kept tabs on Sasuke and the amount of wine the man drank because now his boyfriend was positively trashed. At least it wasn't too visible, to others Sasuke probably looked like a clingy monster but that was it. Normally Naruto wouldn't think twice of it but he wanted to have a serious talk with the man, and it seemed it would have to wait till the next day.

He let Sasuke half-hang on his arm, and lead him out of the gallery. They've been there longer than the social propriety demanded. The gallery was located in a part of the town, which used to be industrial but now housed eternal students, hipsters and wannabe writers. Naruto could hear someone playing violin. Living here must've been nice.

“Fuck me,” Sasuke pleaded in a raspy voice. Naruto eyed him, uncertain about what he should be saying next. “Fuck me, this last time, please—“

“We're on a street,” the blonde deadpanned.

“We’re in a back alley,” Sasuke disagreed.

“Sasuke, I,” Naruto stammered. He took a deep breath, and tried again. “Sasuke, I'd absolutely _love_ to have sex with you but right now you're drunk, and you didn't want to have sex with me when you were sober, so,” he trailed off. The brunette glared at him. “I'm not going to be your Orochimaru,” Naruto grunted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sasuke muttered.

“You've said you wanted to have sex with him so you'd regret it, and that was supposed to distract you from your other problems, and,” Naruto blabbered, “I don't want you to regret having sex with me,” he mumbled out. “What’s more, that's just wrong—“

“Stop acting like a freaking boy scout and do me,” Sasuke hissed. He sounded almost as if he was begging. He pulled Naruto into some dead-end street. A tree was growing right in front of the entry to the alley, and the street wasn't exactly busy. If Sasuke _wasn’t_ drunk, Naruto wouldn't think twice.

“Sasuke, let's go back home,” he pleaded. “You'll sober up, and if you'll still be willing, then—“

He paused, watching Sasuke unbuckling his pants, and taking his erection out. The brunette raised an eyebrow in a mute challenge, his fingers tightly embracing his dick. Naruto forced himself to look away. It was wrong. It was so, so, _so_ wrong.

“I'm not fucking you,” he stated under his breath. “Someone’s going to see you—“

“Then come here,” Sasuke slurred. “It'll just look as if we were kissing,” he promised. Naruto scuttled closer to the other man. Mostly to hide him from prying eyes of random passersby. He heard a sharp intake of air when Sasuke's dick rested against his thigh.

“You're probably going to regret it when you'll sober up,” Naruto warned him. “Fyi, I don’t mind what you're, um, doing right now,” he paused when a quiet moan fell out of Sasuke's lips, “meaning,” he tried to resume and not think of Sasuke’s cock. He could feel the man jacking off and rubbing against his jeans. He could _smell_ it. “Meaning,” he cleared his throat, “you don't have to worry about what I think of you because,” he sighed, still staring at the night sky, “it's hardly the stupidest thing you've ever done, and I still love you, so,” his voice trailed off. Sasuke’s breath became heavy and raggedy. “Fuck, Sasuke, I seriously don't want you to regret doing this,” he whispered.

“You’re ruining the mood,” the man laughed, his other hand biting into Naruto’s arm. “You're going to dump me and forget me. Don't think too much of it. You will be neither the first nor the last one.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke, a sense of horror slowly blooming in his heart. He hasn't been able to realize just how _lonely_ Sasuke was. He himself had Iruka, and he had his high school friends, who were almost like a family to him, he had Gaara. Sasuke… he was somewhat close to Ino but it wasn’t exactly friendship. There was Orochimaru, who was… well. And there was Sai. Aside from that Sasuke had an aunt, who's been busy with work, a brother, who ran away from him, and some friends with whom Sasuke could fool around but that was pretty much it.

Then there was Naruto.

“Sasuke,” the blonde whispered, “I'm here for you. Even if this thing we have won't work out, I'll still be there for you if you'll ever need a friend,” he promised. “I'm not going to run away from you.”

“You can't possibly know what the future will bring,” Sasuke pointed out in a blank voice. At last, he stopped moving. Apparently the mood has been ruined beyond saving because he actually put his dick back into his jeans, and buckled up with a heavy sigh. “Don't make promises you're not going to keep.”

“ _You_ don't know what the future will bring either but you insist on being all pessimistic about it,” Naruto retorted. “I love you,” he stated. “I love all of you.”

“You don't,” Sasuke disagreed. His voice was breaking.

“I don't mind the fact that we’re going to argue,” Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke's pretest. “We're still learning our boundaries. I'm not going to get hurt just because you’re going to raise your voice at me. I _know_ that most of the time you're not angry at _me_ ,” he murmured. “There's so many things you're giving  me, like, you’re really protective of me, and I appreciate it a lot, and I'm sorry that I've never mentioned it to you before,” he confessed. “You're always there for me, you're my safety net. I’m more confident because I have you and your support, and I _know_ I can count on you,” he whispered. “So please, stop pushing me away,” he pleaded. “When it comes to people, who are most important to me, dad’s first, you're a close second, and then there's the rest,” he said. “Stop doubting my feelings, I'm serious about you.”

“I'm,” Sasuke stammered. He swallowed, and took a deep breath. His black eyes were glassy and bloodshot. He looked terrible. It was clear that he's done everything to look as good as it was only possible, but he still looked terrible. Unhealthy. Tired. Broken. In a desperate need for a hug. Naruto sent him a soft smile, and opened his arms, inviting the other man for an embrace, but he just looked away, not budging from his spot. Naruto let out a quiet sigh, and dropped his arms.

“I love you,” he repeated. “I want to be with you. I want us to be happy. I want us to rent some flat like two or three months from now, and live together. I want us to spend holidays together. I want us to throw our own parties, and I want to be there for you whenever you're hungover,” he smiled. “I want us to cook dinners together, and I want to bake cookies with you, and I want to just chill with you and do nothing in particular.”

“You can’t be serious,” Sasuke protested.

“I _am_ ,” Naruto insisted. “I love you. I'm sorry, I wasn't telling you this often enough.”

“You're an idiot,” the brunette murmured back, leaning against the wall, looking up, and hiding his face in hands. “A hopeless idiot.”

“You too,” Naruto agreed. Sasuke let out a miserable snort in reply. “I like being with you,” Naruto confessed. “We complement each other,” he pointed out. “I'm good at being diplomatic, and you're assertive for the both of us. Our lives will be easier if we stick together,” he chuckled. Sasuke revealed his face just to make sure Naruto saw him roll his eyes. Still, he looked somewhat happier than just a few minutes ago. Even if he wasn't entirely convinced. “I _really_ want us to be together. We _can_ be together. I _can_ be the constant in your life. Either as a friend or a lover,” he said.

“It’s gotten sappy,” Sasuke complained. He took a deep breath. “We've known each other how long? Five months?”

“It was pretty intense five months,” Naruto noted.

“ _Intense five months_ ,” Sasuke repeated. “Don't you prefer nice and calm five months? Nice and calm year? Ten years? Life?”

“We'll get there,” the blonde assured the other man. “And _maybe_ you’ll finally _live_ in somewhere, like, you'll have your favorite books, pillows, mugs, pictures and whatever in there.”

“Favorite pillows,” Sasuke snickered. “This is the root of all my problems,” he tried to mutter in a threatening voice but it came out soft.

“There's nothing wrong with having a favorite pillow,” Naruto insisted. “You'll have one soon, even if it's the last thing I'll ever do,” he promised.

“Okay,” Sasuke breathed out. “Let’s try again. This time for real.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> missed me?
> 
> next chapter comes out in a week or so
> 
> then there'll be another (last) one but I have no idea when. Maybe in two weeks, maybe in a month. It all depends on how much time I'll have.
> 
> I thought this one was going to come out a week from now but it turns out that this fic here has 4-5 k words long chapters, so I decided it was a good idea to break the chapter I was writing into two, and this seemed like a good place to finish it :Y


	26. Chapter 26

Yesterday's journey home was pretty much a blur to Sasuke. He remembered the _talk_ they had—or, to be more precise, what _Naruto_ told _him_ but that was the point his mind gave up on thinking and registering what was happening around him. Naruto called them a cab they chipped in for, and drove back to the dormitories. Then Naruto lead him straight into his own room, sat him down on bed, and handed him some clothes he could sleep in and the toothbrush Sasuke had left in his room over a month ago. As if Sasuke's room was too far away.

They didn't share too many words, they just changed their clothes, brushed their teeth, and lied together on the narrow bed. Sasuke had no idea who embraced whom when they drifted off to sleep but when he woke up, he could see Naruto's face less than a foot away from his own, and Sasuke realized that this was how he wanted to wake up.

He was still overwhelmed by what Naruto's told him last night. He _knew_ there was a possibility that none of it was true, that nothing would happen the way Naruto promised but this time Sasuke wasn't planning to step down without a fight.

„I love you," he told the sleeping man. The blonde's eyelashes fluttered, and soon Naruto was staring back at him with a huge grin on his still tired face.

„I love you too," Naruto replied. „I usually wake up before you do," he mumbled out, rubbing the last remnants of sleep off his face. „The last time you woke up before me was... wasn't it when they left us locked in in the pub?"

„It's possible," Sasuke agreed.

„Mmm, fun times," the blonde snorted. „I guess the pub has a new owner now. I wonder what Yahiko and Konan are up to these days."

„Who cares," Sasuke yawned.

„I guess you remember what I told you last night. Because I think it was rather important, and I can say it again. I can say it as many times as you want," the man murmured.

„Yes, I remember. You promised me a pillow," Sasuke replied.

„And a mug," Naruto agreed, chuckling and pulling Sasuke in for a hug. „We can go shopping today," he offered. „Ah, shit, I promised Sakura I'd let them know when we're going to see them. You want to come with me?"

„I don't really _want_ to but I believe I should," Sasuke answered. „I don't need them to dislike me more than they already do," he sighed.

„It's not like this," the blonde disagreed. „They just didn't have a chance to properly meet you," he huffed.

„I _lived_ with Neji, remember?"

„Yeah but back then Neji had no idea that Hinata was," Naruto stammered and cleared his throat, „so he was in protective mode. And you weren't doing your dishes, so—„

„And he was taking ten-hours-long showers every day," Sasuke breathed out. „I don't think Tenten's ever going to move in with him."

„Oh," the blonde gasped. „They're not together anymore," he revealed. „So he's kind of brokenhearted. Try not to mention Tenten," he pleaded.

„Sure," Sasuke agreed. He couldn't say he really cared about the neurotic asshole and his love life. „Hinata's not going to be there, right?"

„No, no," Naruto assured him in a panicked voice. „I don't think they'd bring her with them but I'll tell Sakura not to anyways. Does it mean I'm a total dick?"

„Why?"

„She's my ex, and, uh, well, she _does_ care about me. In her own way. And yet I don't want to see her," he sighed. „I have no idea if I'll ever want to see her again," he confessed, lying on his back, and pinching the bridge of his nose.

„I think you're fully entitled to not wanting to see her," Sasuke replied. „If you'll ever change your mind, count me out. I'd much rather hang out with Kiba," he snorted.

„Pfft," Naruto laughed back. „What about today? Not with Kiba, of course."

„Why not," the brunette agreed.

„Are you afraid of heights?"

„...not really, why?" Sasuke cautiously inquired. „I thought we were going to some pub?"

„Nah, that's boring," Naruto replied. „I was thinking of amusement park," he said. Sasuke gave him a doubtful look. „It'll be fun, trust me. Unless you _are_ afraid of heights or, I don't know, something else that I haven't thought of?"

„I'm good," Sasuke assured him. „I thought they wanted to talk?"

„There'll be plenty of time to talk when we'll be waiting in queues," the blonde triumphantly announced. As if he just discovered the secret to eternal life. Sasuke unknowingly smiled at him. For some reason he felt as if he was falling for the man all over again. „What's your stance on jumpscares? Because they have a haunted house but we've never even watched a horror together, so—„

„I'm fine with jumpscares and horrors but if something jumps on me, I might hit it back," Sasuke snorted.

„That's actually a relief because I hate scary stuff," Naruto confessed. „So now you can be my excuse for not going in," he breathed out. „Because I can't just leave you alone, can I?" he asked, rolling on his stomach, and smooching Sasuke's forehead.

„I guess you can't," Sasuke admitted. „Would you go if I were going?" he questioned. „It sounds like your friends have no idea that you're not a fan of haunted houses, so would you tell me—„

„I would've told you anyways," the blonde assured him. „And fyi, I'm not watching any horror movies with you," he added. „But I don't want them to know because it's rather silly, I mean, I _know_ it's just plastic and some rags, so it's possible I'd have entered the haunted house," he sighed. „But I was hoping you'd stay with me anyways. You don't look like an amusement park enthusiast."

„I'm not. The last time I went to an amusement park was when my parents were still alive," Sasuke mused. It's been so long ago that he couldn't even remember anything aside from the fact that they were there together.

„Oh, shit, sorry, like, we can go somewhere else—„

„Don't worry about it," Sasuke interrupted him in a soft voice. „I was about five years old at the time. I don't really remember anything from back then," he explained. „Besides, if I avoided everything I've ever done while my parents were still alive, all I could do would be drinking and fucking," he laughed. „Now that I think about it, these _are_ my favorite activities," he realized. Naruto flicked his forehead and gave him a warm smile.

„You should widen your horizons," he lectured. „Like, you know, we could do something else for a change," he said, and lied back on the bed, his knees touching Sasuke's. „Ah, I mean, aside from drinking," he clarified.

„I have a feeling you don't want me to get drunk again," Sasuke sighed. „Just say so," he murmured.

„It's not it," Naruto mumbled out. „But you'd get wasted in no time, and we'd have to leave," he blurted out. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask if this was a thinly veiled challenge but Naruto was faster. „Anyways, since we're going to that park, we should meet them earlier," he decided. „So, like, go take a shower, then we'll get something to eat, get you that pillow—„

„I was joking about the pillow," Sasuke protested.

„Well, I wasn't," the blonde retorted, showing him tongue. „Then we'll come back, leave the pillow in here, and go meet them. How does it sound?"

„...fine by me," Sasuke sighed, giving up on trying to make Naruto abandon his pillow plan. „I'll see you in an hour," he promised.

* * *

„This is stupid," Sasuke huffed. The blonde gave him an ugly look while shuffling through pillows. Then, out of nowhere, he threw a pillow straight at Sasuke's face. „What was that for?" the brunette complained, picking up the pillow and throwing it back. Naruto too wasn't able to dodge the attack. „Hmpf," Sasuke snorted.

„This one is _cute_ ," Naruto muttered. It was bright orange and shaped like a fox head. Sasuke tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

„What have I ever done to make you think I'm into _cute_ stuff?"

„I'm cute, and you're dating me," Naruto barked. Sasuke just stared at him, feeling a ridiculous blush creeping up his cheeks. „And maybe you'll absorb some of that cuteness," he chirped.

"You're not cute," Sasuke decided. The annoying blonde glared at him.

"I _am_ ," he disagreed.

"I don't even like orange," Sasuke said.

"You should open to colors other than black, dark blue, gray and white," Naruto whined. "You're hopeless," he complained. "But okay, whatever, which one do you like?"

Sasuke sent one quick look at a huge basket filled with pillows shaped like animal heads. Then he glared at the regular ones. "The fox," he answered, looking away.

"What?" Naruto deadpanned. "I thought you hated it."

"I used to hate you too but you grew on me," he hissed. Naruto blinked.

"I have no idea if I should be offended or touched," he confessed in a flat voice. "You're impossible," he whispered, took the pillow, grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him towards registers.

"I didn't hate you," Sasuke admitted with a heavy sigh. "I just thought you were really, really, _really_ annoying. Sometimes you still are."

"Wow," the blonde gasped, waiting in the line. "And then you dare to tell me _I_ suck at giving compliments."

"Turned out you have some redeeming qualities," Sasuke grunted, reaching for his wallet. Naruto stopped his hand.

"It's supposed to be a gift," he explained. "From your really, really, _really_ annoying boyfriend."

Sasuke swallowed an undignified snort, and ruffled the blond mop of hair. "Thanks," he said after receiving the plastic bag with the fox.

"I'm so proud of you," Naruto chirped. "You might still need some training at not being an asshole but at least you know the magic words," he said, patting Sasuke's head as if he was a dog. Sasuke smiled back at the man, only now realizing how much more relaxed he was compared to just yesterday. He breathed in, forcing himself to believe that it wasn't going to end. That some years from now he would still have Naruto, and not just a dumb fox pillow to remember him by.

* * *

Naruto grinned to himself, barely able to contain his excitement. Sasuke, his friends and he were currently standing in the line to buy the tickets, and they were even able to make some small talk. Sure, it felt somewhat forced (aside from Rock) but it still was more than Naruto had hoped for, so now believing that in some time the relationship between his friends and boyfriend would become genuinely civil was much easier.

"It's kind of cold," Sakura complained, wrapping herself tighter in her light green jacket. Naruto took off his scarf and handed it to the woman, catching Sasuke roll his eyes.

"Whenever I'm cold, I do some light exercises," Rock exclaimed, warming up his arms. Naruto laughed, half-expecting the man to insist on walking on their hands from now on. The blonde flinched in surprise when he felt an arm embracing his waist, and pulling him closer.

"You get cold more easily than I do," Naruto pointed out, earning himself a half-assed glare from Sasuke.

"And this is why I think you're annoying," the man whispered into his ear, his breath brushing over Naruto's naked neck. Neji gave them a blank stare. The blonde sent him an awkward smile. The man must've been reminded of the fact that he was single. Still, Naruto wasn't going to stop Sasuke from touching him just to spare Neji's feelings.

"Finally," the blonde sighed when they were let into the park. "We're going for that tall ride first, right?" he exclaimed, unwrapping himself from Sasuke's embrace, and grabbing his hand instead.

"Why would we go for any other?" Sakura agreed with him, quickening her pace, and ushering the others to follow her. Sasuke and Neji looked equally unimpressed but followed the rest nonetheless. "So, Naruto, Sasuke, when are you two moving together? You both have a pretty good job now, so it's just a matter of time, right?" Sakura inquired in a cheery voice.

"Uh, well, you know," Naruto stammered.

"We've just gotten back together," Sasuke replied in his stead. "We want to wait at least two months before we move in together," he added, sounding somewhat bored.

"Ah, yes, you're right," Sakura agreed. "So," she drawled, "how are things between you two?"

"Good," Sasuke answered her before Naruto even managed to open his mouth.

"That's good to hear," she chirped. "That friend of yours is a pretty good painter," she commented. "Weren't you embarrassed to pose for him?"

"Only in the beginning," Naruto replied. "He can't behave for shit but he's acting pretty professionally when he's painting," he continued. "But he really has a foul mouth," he shuddered. "And he's kind of a jerk. But, I don't know, like, he's a likeable jerk."

"Seems you have a soft spot for jerks," Neji grumbled.

"That includes you too," Sasuke snapped.

"Friends, let's put all of this anger behind," Rock interrupted them, and grinned, showing all of his teeth.

"Sasuke's not a jerk," Naruto disagreed with Neji.

"I hope you'll get a dishwasher because he's not going to even come near the sink," Neji muttered. "Not to mention that he doesn't mind the fact that his hair are clogging the shower drain."

Naruto sent Sasuke a panicked look, mentally begging him to not mention Tenten. "We'll manage," the blonde hastily said. "And it doesn't really bother me all this much anyways," he forced a chuckle. He almost shouted with joy when they were finally allowed to get on the rollercoaster. It wasn't especially tall but it was the tallest one in the park, and it had quite a bit of loops. Now, with just a little bit of luck, they'll have a fun day.

"This would make for an excellent training course," Rock noticed, admiring the rollercoaster tracks.

"What," Neji deadpanned in an absolutely blank voice. It didn't even sound like an actual voice, it sounded like a word written on a piece of dirty, about-to-be-thrown-out paper.

"What seconded," Sakura agreed. Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "It looks crazy dangerous as it is, so," she trailed off.

"I'll keep you safe," Rock promised the woman, bowing to her as if he was pledging his allegiance to her. Naruto stole a glance at Sasuke, whose eyes were slightly wider than usual. He patted his boyfriend's arm, gently pushed him towards his seat in the cart, and sat next to him.

"I'll keep you safe too," he whispered to him in an obnoxious voice, earning himself a _hn_ and a nudge in the ribs. "Jerk," he snickered.

"Moron," Sasuke quietly agreed.

* * *

"I still don't like them," Sasuke sighed, leaning back on the bench and sipping on his coffee. Naruto's friends went to the haunted house, so Naruto and he had some much needed time alone. Neji was tiring as fuck. Sasuke wished it was Tenten coming with them, and not his former flatmate. Tenten was perfectly fine. Reasonable. Nice. Not a stupid, passive aggressive piece of shit. Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself down. These were Naruto's friends. He was bound to see them again, and he'd have to learn how to survive through their antics. "It could've been worse though," he admitted.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed with him, stifling a yawn. "Thanks for not mentioning Tenten. I myself was itching to do it, so I guess you've had it much worse," he laughed. "It was nice of them to offer to not go to the haunted house," he said. "But I needed a break from them."

"Me too," Sasuke replied, throwing one arm around Naruto's shoulders.

"You're kind of touchy feely today," the blonde chuckled. "I don't mind it, but, like, you know, it's kind of unusual for you."

"So?" Sasuke asked, side-eying his boyfriend. "Besides, I don't think I'm more _touchy feely_ than before. We just had a break," he pointed out.

"I guess you're right," Naruto mused, resting his head against Sasuke's arm. "You haven't flipped out on anyone all day long," he commented. "Don't get me wrong, I don't miss it but, like, I hope you're not bottling everything up because honestly, you're going to blow up anyways, and it's _so much worse_ than when you're just snapping at people—"

"I'm fine," Sasuke interrupted him. He actually _was_ fine. "You're the only person here I care about, so they don't really bother me. I _am_ able to suffer through their company for a day or two," he assured Naruto. "To me they're not too different from that family over there," he said, pointing to a couple with two kids, "are the kids annoying as fuck? Probably. Do I really care? No."

"Huh," the blonde breathed out. "I'm still surprised. Like, I was kind of expecting you to get annoyed, and you're like super agreeable today—"

"I'm getting annoyed now," Sasuke muttered straight into the golden hair, which muffled his voice. "You stood by me, and were taking my side whenever it counted," he explained. "You used to do the opposite," he pointed out.

"But," Naruto tried to protest, however Sasuke promptly shut him up with a kiss. "Huh," the man huffed. "Perhaps you're right."

"I'm usually right," Sasuke reminded him.

" _I'm_ _usually_ _right_ ," Naruto repeated in an obnoxious mocking voice. Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh, pulling his boyfriend's hair down. "That hurt, you bastard," the blonde whined, massaging his scalp. He sat up so now they were on equal height. Sasuke breathed out. He wouldn't mind Naruto being shorter than him but their height difference was _maybe_ one inch. That wasn't nearly enough to matter. He pulled Naruto closer to him, forcing him to return to his previous position.

"I want to return home," Sasuke said. The blonde nodded his head, leaning against Sasuke's chest.

"Yeah, I missed touching you, and I feel kinda sorta guilty when Neji's there to see us," he murmured.

"I don't. If our situation was reversed, he would've been flaunting his relationship," Sasuke sighed. "Fuck, he's so annoying."

"Ha!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up in his spot, smiling like a madman, and pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke's chest. "I _knew_ you were more touchy feely than usual. Like, your hands were almost always on me, and—"

"Are you suggesting that I'm doing it to irk that asshole?" the brunette muttered. "Do you _really_ think that I'd go out of my way to piss off someone, who doesn't need _any_ help in getting pissed off since he's doing everyone's job for them?"

"Uh, well, kind of?" the blonde tried. Sasuke sent him a death stare but the other man didn't crumble under it.

"Perhaps," he eventually admitted, gaining himself a stupid snort. Sasuke rolled his eyes, and gazed at the night sky. He was happy. He was _actually_ happy. It was no longer a word he'd use instead of fine in conversations with his brother, now it was an actual feeling.

"He brought us together, you know," Naruto whispered. "If we're ever going to—"

Sasuke waited for his boyfriend to finish the sentence but, apparently, whatever it was, it had to be stupid enough to _not_ go through Naruto's brain-to-mouth filter. "What is it? _What_ are we going to do?"

"Well, uh," the blonde stammered, his face redder than a goddamn tomato.

"If it's _this_ stupid, I definitely want to hear it," Sasuke snickered.

"You _don't_ ," Naruto insisted. "Trust me on this one. It's nothing bad though, so, like, don't stress over it, it's just kind of silly, so I don't want to say it _now_ but maybe I'll tell you later," he blabbered. "So let's just leave it at that, okay?"

Sasuke sent him a long look before breathing out through his nose and returning to staring at whichever stars were visible. "Fine," he sighed. "But I _do_ want to hear it."

"Oh," the blonde whimpered. Sasuke turned his head, and raised an eyebrow in a mute question. Naruto looked like a complete dumbass. "Okay but not today," he promised.

"Whatever," Sasuke agreed. "Whenever you're ready."

* * *

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, glaring at his boyfriend, who wasn't able to stop snickering. The blonde pushed Sasuke's fringe away from his eyes, and mentally scolded himself for it immediately afterwards. The jerk didn't deserve any care.

"It's a déjà vu," the brunette laughed, his butthole clenching around Naruto's slowly softening dick and pushing it out. "You've promised me I wouldn't even notice you coming but here I am, _well_ aware of it—"

"That's because you started laughing _immediately_ ," Naruto complained, nuzzling his head in the crook of Sasuke's neck. His boyfriend could've called it a déjà vu all he wanted but it wasn't entirely so. Sure, Naruto did come within seconds from the moment he entered his boyfriend however now Sasuke wasn't riding him but lying underneath him, his long legs resting on Naruto's hips. The atmosphere was completely different, too. More relaxed, more lazy. And Sasuke wasn't even _trying_ to spare his feelings. "I hate your stupid flat ass," the blonde grumbled. He flinched, when Sasuke's hand swatted his forehead.

"Watch it," the brunette warned him. "That _stupid_ _flat_ _ass_ needed less than a minute to fuck you up."

"As soon, as I get my erection back, I'm going to break you in half," Naruto growled at the cackling man.

" _I'm still waiting_ ," Sasuke murmured back in a husky voice.

"I'm just going to leave you like this," the blonde decided, plastering a fake smile over his face. His boyfriend's black eyes were at this point narrowed so much that they looked like two tiny slits. "Ye, you've fucked yourself over," Naruto chirped.

"You better not be serious," Sasuke threatened him in a low, guttural voice. His thighs tightly squeezed Naruto's sides, his fingers dug into the blonde's arms. "You're going to get it up, and then you're going to fuck me. _End_ of the story."

"Is that so?" Naruto cooed at him, pinching a pale cheek. Sasuke's dick was violently pulsating, trapped between their bodies. None of them moved to accommodate for it. "I don't know, it doesn't seem like you actually _want_ my incompetent cock anywhere near your clearly superior ass," he sighed. "I'm afraid I'd just disappoint you again," he whispered, smooching the tip of Sasuke's nose, and moving just barely enough to brush against his boyfriend's needy hole with his already hard dick. Sasuke sucked in a breath, and his legs relaxed, opening wider. Naruto didn't do anything about it, though.

"Naruto," Sasuke hissed. "Making me beg for your cock just because you got overexcited and finished too fast is _low_ ," he complained. Naruto's lips brushed against the pale neck, enjoying the shiver that went through his lover's warm body.

"How else am I supposed to know that you're not just taking pity on me?" the blonde inquired, his words caressing the skin behind Sasuke's ears.

"Change the condom and fuck me already, you dumbass," the man ordered.

"You should've put a _please_ somewhere in there," Naruto replied, completely unfazed. "How much do you want it? We've had quite a break, huh," he commented. "Your ass must be _starved_ for some action." Sasuke glared at him, and if it wasn't for the way the brunette's dick throbbed and leaked precum with every word Naruto uttered, the blonde would've stopped trying to irk him ages ago. But _this_ was what Sasuke considered bed talk. Naruto raised himself on his elbows, removed the used condom, and threw it on the floor. "So, what will it be?"

"Hurry up and fuck me," Sasuke snarled, his hand cupping the back of Naruto's head, and bringing it closer to his own. " _Please_ ," he growled, looking as if he was going in for a kiss. Naruto leaned to give in, and yelped when the brunette bit his bottom lip. "Put that fucking condom on and _fuck me_ already," Sasuke muttered. "And I _swear_ that if you'll stop for even _one_ second, I'll push you off me, and bite your dick off," he threatened.

Naruto didn't dare to open his mouth again as he kneeled in front of Sasuke, put on a fresh condom, coated his dick in lube, forced the brunette to lie on his left side and raise his right leg high enough to make it rest against Naruto's chest. The head of his cock slowly, inevitably started entering Sasuke's ass, pink muscles tightly embracing it.

"Fuck," the brunette panted, audibly heaving problems breathing. "Hurry up," he pleaded.

Naruto breathed in, refraining himself from simply ramming into the other man's ass, however tempting it was. Inch by inch, he filled Sasuke with his throbbing cock, and only after he was done, he started moving in a slow, precise, methodological manner. Judging from the incomprehensible, broken noises Sasuke was making, it was working wonders.

"You're so tight," Naruto whispered. He could feel every single push, every single pull, it wasn't just a blur of motions. He breathed in, forcing himself to calm down. He's _just_ come, so getting anywhere near edge this soon seemed impossible. What was worse, Sasuke would probably straight up murder him if he dared to come before him _again_. Naruto hesitantly turned his eyes away from the body below him, and glared at the wall for his dear life. Still, there was nothing he could do about the things he _felt_. He felt Sasuke's hot, sleek insides, twitching leg, tense back and stomach, the resistance whenever he entered the brunette, the way his entire body moved on the bed with every push, the way the bed was shaking—

"For fuck's sake, Sasuke," Naruto complained. "Stop being so stupidly hot," he panted.

"If you'll come now, I'll bite your dick off, they'll lock me up, and you'll have to come visit me in jail," Sasuke muttered back, barely able to form a complete sentence. The blonde snorted, somewhat taken aback by the fact that the love of his life expected his mutilation victim to come to marital visits. "I'm serious," Sasuke hissed. "So give me just a few more minutes," he begged, his voice sinking into the pillow.

"I will," Naruto promised him.

"Good for you," Sasuke panted in reply, his long fingers digging into the mattress. The blonde smiled, finally allowing himself to take in the view of his lover again. Sasuke was lying on his side, face down, looking as if he didn't have enough strength to change his position, as if he was merely a rag doll, which somebody threw on the bed. His dark hair were scattered across the pillow, some of his pale skin got pink and puffy from the continuous friction. Naruto closed his eyes, reached for Sasuke's moist from precum erection with his free hand, and started steadily pumping it, matching his moves to the rhythm of the thrusts. "Is… it… really… so," Sasuke moaned, losing words and syllables, "that… need… your hand?"

Naruto ignored the question, focusing on the way Sasuke's body reacted to his every touch as if it was a finely tuned instrument. With some pride, he realized that he _knew_ what he was doing. That he _knew_ how to bring Sasuke over the edge. The blonde leaned forward, his fingers slowly traveling towards his boyfriend's collar bone. Sasuke bared his neck even more than usual, and Naruto gently embraced it, gradually tightening his grip.

"Don't stop," Sasuke rasped. "Please, don't you fucking dare to _stop_ ," he pleaded, merely able to speak. Naruto sucked in a breath, and quickened his moves. Sasuke's and his body were one, they were one and the same, single entity, and when all of their muscles contracted at once, neither could stop the pleasured groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think this is the fluffiest thing i've ever written :'D
> 
> tbh, when i was writing it, i kept stopping myself, and i was all like 'bitch don't' but this bitch has no master
> 
> now i think there'll either be two more or just one long chapter
> 
> and then i'll be finished!
> 
> like, you know, it depends on how many loose ends i'll be able to tie at once
> 
> there's not much left but you know
> 
> ...
> 
> this shit is longer than some of the HP books :Y
> 
> ...
> 
> it's been two years since the last time i've written a smut, and i kind of stopped reading them too because i've read so many that all i can see is recycled sentences, so, uh, you have to forgive me. there will be one more smut, and i promise i'll try to make it better than this one because this one is mostly banter but i had so much fun writing it that i simply decided to go with it
> 
> ha
> 
> you can probably see whom naruto's got his speech pattern from :D
> 
> If you commented on the last chapter and I haven't replied you yet--be patient, I'll do it today but I need some sleep (it can't go on like this/i've tried counting sheep/but there's one i always miss)


	27. The Last

And then Naruto married Hinata, and Sasuke married Sakura, and they lived happily ever after.

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the real chapter's going to come out in a week or so
> 
> sorry
> 
> couldn't help myself


	28. Chapter 28

"Stupid flat ass: two, incompetent cock: one," Sasuke announced and highfived himself. Naruto grinned at that, his cheek glued to Sasuke's chest.

„It wasn't me who wasn't able to talk for the last five minutes," Naruto reminded his boyfriend. „But whatever, I'm not going to complain," he yawned.

„Smart," the brunette commented, sounding ridiculously happy with himself. His hand wormed itself into blond hair and was lazily combing through it. It felt nice. Just as it was supposed to be. Naruto wanted them to stay like this forever.

„Your neighbors must adore you," he smiled.

„ _Us_ ," Sasuke corrected him.

„Yes, _us_ ," the blonde agreed. He was almost embarrassed by how overjoyed he was just because of a stupid plural. „We weren't exactly trying to be quiet," Naruto murmured.

„Who cares," Sasuke whispered back. „What's the worst thing they can do? File a noise complaint? We'll be out of here within a few months anyways," he said. Naruto grinned at the words. It wasn't some dumb _if_ , it was a _when_.

„True enough," he agreed. „Ha, I'm ready for another round," he realized.

„That's disgusting," Sasuke decided, significantly less happy than just a moment ago. „Are you even human?"

„Oi," Naruto protested. „You've been riling me up for the last week, don't expect me to be completely unaffected by it," he complained.

„You should've jacked off," Sasuke pointed out.

„Jacking off is nowhere near as good as actually having sex with you," Naruto whined. „And, like, I could see something was troubling you, so I wasn't really in the mood, and then—„

„You seriously don't have to explain to me why you weren't jerking off," Sasuke interrupted him in a groggy voice. „Go ahead and do it now if you want," he suggested. „Or go back to your room if you need some _privacy_ —„

„Nah, I'm good," Naruto sighed in reply. It was clear that the thought of helping him didn't even cross Sasuke's mind. Not that it came off as a surprise. One of the most fundamental rules of the universe was Sasuke being lazy after he came. "Where's your new pillow?"

"In the bag, I guess," the man answered.

"Is _this_ how you're supposed to treat your new favorite—"

"I don't think it works this way," Sasuke interrupted him, pushing Naruto off himself, and fishing for the plastic bag. Then he threw the wrap away, and glared at the poor fox as if it personally offended him. Eventually, he shoved the pillow under his head and pulled the blonde closer to himself. "I feel ridiculous," he snickered. "But at least it's soft," he added, his voice breaking into a yawn.

"Give it a few days, and you won't be able to fall asleep without the fox," Naruto whispered back. "And you'll be throwing a fit if we won't take it with us when we'll be away from home," he laughed.

"Sure," Sasuke replied, utterly unconvinced and unimpressed. "This is exactly what you should expect of me. Naruto, the fox is cute, and I _am_ going to think of you when I see it since you were the one to pay any attention to it—"

"Sure, I will draw you a lamb," Naruto promised his boyfriend, who, apparently, had no idea what he was getting at. "Seriously, Sasuke? The fox is special because you made it special? Lamb? Box? Snake eating an elephant? Do you even read—"

"I _do_ ," the brunette barked at him. "And I can't believe you like this cheap shit but dare to criticize _Marley and Me_ —"

"Oi, don't even compare the two," Naruto protested. "There are many jerks in this world but to me you're my one and only," he chirped.

"Oh for fuck's sake," the other man cursed.

"I tamed you and now I'm responsible for you," the blonde cooed.

"It's so fucking cheap," Sasuke muttered in disbelief, covering his eyes with hands. " _You_ are so fucking cheap. I can't believe it."

"Better believe it," Naruto murmured in reply. "This is your life now," he announced.

"You're obnoxious," the brunette realized.

"Mmmm, we'll have a quote from the Little Prince on the wall. Like, you know, it's inspirational and stuff," Naruto replied.

"I'd much rather have that painting with you fingering yourself on that wall," Sasuke whined. "Hell, I'd much rather have my _aunt_ have that painting," he confessed. The corners of Naruto's lips curled upwards. "I'm _this_ close to calling Sai—"

"Oh, you know, like, I think we'll have more than just one wall. Or the quote can be next to the painting. Ye, everything's coming together quite nicely," he said, smiling at the brunette.

"You should consider yourself lucky because in the end I don't really care," Sasuke sighed. Somehow, his sigh managed to sound _content_. "Honestly, you can even paint the ceiling orange," he snorted.

"Orange ceiling will go wonderfully with the quote and the painting," Naruto agreed. "And we could pay Sai to paint something on the other walls," he mused.

"He's an _artist_ ," Sasuke reminded him. "He might think it's below him. But, on the other hand, he enjoys ruining other people's lives so he might actually go with it."

"I think we would end up with, uh, like, you know how in some kindergartens there are these fairy tale scenes painted on the walls? It would be something like this but with dicks."

"No wonder, most cartoon characters don't wear any pants," Sasuke smiled. "It's only natural if their junk is showing."

"Lovely," Naruto grinned. "I can already imagine inviting our friends and family there," he whispered. "Actually, if we did invite everyone at once… it would end up in a total massacre. Imagine Neji interacting with Suigetsu," he chortled. "Or with Sai."

"We're not inviting everyone at once, especially not anywhere near where we'll live," Sasuke hissed. "Naruto," he murmured a while later, his hand gently squeezing the blonde's shoulder, "you don't have to answer but I've been wondering if you have any friends from," he paused, audibly looking for the right words, "from before Iruka adopted you."

"Not really," Naruto answered, closing eyes. "Believe it or not but I wasn't always popular," he confessed with a tired smile. "So my first friend was… huh. I got paired up with Sakura for a project, and she pretty much hated me back then but she had to hang out with me anyways, and she was kind of popular, so I ended up getting to know some more people?" he mused. "I befriended Neji on my own but Neji was Rock's friend, and Rock had a crush on Sakura back then, and he was freaking me out a bit? And Sakura was… was she friends with Hinata before I got into that fight with Neji? I'll be honest with you, Sasuke, I have absolutely no idea," he realized. "Oh, and then there was Haku, and I was hanging out with him for a while but back then I thought he was a girl, so I was crushing on him _hard_. Seriously, he was _so_ pretty—"

"Pretty, you say," Sasuke muttered.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted. "Beautiful even."

"Beautiful," Sasuke repeated, sounding annoyed.

"Exactly," the blonde sighed. "Well, my friends knew he wasn't a girl but they thought it was funny, so they waited till I was _seriously_ crushing on him before they finally told me," he whined. "That was a fucking disaster."

"You have _wonderful_ friends," Sasuke commented.

"I've told you I wasn't particularly popular," Naruto barked at him. "Just having someone to hang out with felt great. And later Sakura and me really hit off, like, we're pretty good friends now," he grunted.

"I've seen your photos from high school," Sasuke said. "You seemed pretty popular to me."

"Sasuke, seriously, I _wasn't_. Like, you'd never even _consider_ hanging out with me," he grumbled. "I wasn't _a_ loser, I was _the_ loser," he insisted.

"Why were you _the_ loser?"

"If I knew, I probably wouldn't be one, duh," Naruto answered. "But whatever, let me think," he said and yawned, "hm, I didn't have _any_ friends, I didn't know anyone because the school Iruka's teaching at and his house are in two different districts, I was pretty fucking desperate for attention, I wasn't too smart, I sucked at sports, I had no clue what was popular at the time," he trailed off, trying to think up more reasons. "I was short," he exclaimed in victory, " I was super short. And I definitely wasn't considered handsome. Seriously, Sasuke, if you knew me back then, you'd probably be one of my bullies," he snorted.

"I've never bullied anyone," Sasuke hissed at him. "Why are you so set on making me into some asshole?"

"Uh, well, like, you know, you've said you beat up a bunch of kids? So I kind of assumed you used to be the _give me your lunch money_ kind of guy?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sasuke growled. "Why the fuck would you date someone who used to steal other kids' lunch money?!"

"People change?" Naruto suggested. "You've never wanted to talk about your past, so I thought you were just ashamed of what you used to do but right now you're a really good guy, so… like, you know, I'm not one of your former victims, so it's not too weird?"

"You're fucked up," the brunette deadpanned. "But hey, you already are friends with Neji, so perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised about your readiness to date bullies," he snarled.

"Fine, do reveal your noble cause for beating up other kids," Naruto gave up. Sasuke didn't answer for the next few minutes, and Naruto started to regret asking the question. They've spent a nice day together, so making Sasuke feel bad about something today wasn't exactly his plan. "Or don't," he blurted out. "But now I know you weren't a bully, so that's nice to know, like, it's _great_ —"

"Other kids were calling Itachi a murderer," Sasuke interrupted him.

"Oh."

" _Oh_ ," Sasuke agreed. "But I do admit that later on I ended up provoking them because I wanted to hit someone," he confessed. "For the first few months, however, I had no ulterior motives."

" _Sorry_ ," Naruto whispered.

"Next time," Sasuke whispered and took a deep breath, "ask. Especially if you're going to assume I was a fucking monster," he murmured in an obviously fake happy tone. "So, while I'm not claiming we would've been friends, I'd most definitely _not_ be bullying you," he continued with an exasperated sigh. "And you're fucking messed up if you would've been fine with dating someone, who might've been bullying you had you met earlier."

"Huh. I guess you're right," Naruto agreed with him after a short hesitation. "And yes, yes, you're _usually right_ ," he said and rolled his eyes. Sasuke cracked up at it, so Naruto grinned back. "But, like, you know, I met you like half a year ago, and, er, perhaps you weren't a model citizen but there's nothing inherently wrong with you, so—"

"Your standards are so ridiculously low I'm starting to feel bad about myself," Sasuke complained. "Scratch that, I'm not _starting to_ , I do feel bad about myself."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto wailed. "I'm dating a smoking hot ten," he chirped.

"The last time I checked, I was _maybe_ a two," Sasuke reminded him, rubbing his forehead, and looking tired.

"That was just shit-talking," the blonde assured him.

" _Right_ ," Sasuke huffed.

"I'm serious here," Naruto cried out. "You're most definitely a ten," he stated.

"Isn't Haku a ten?"

"Oh yeah, he was," the blonde gingerly agreed and chuckled at the unhappy sound Sasuke made. "Sasuke, the last time I saw him was almost ten years ago. And, like, there can be more than just one ten," he said.

"Even if I _am_ going to pretend you find my looks attractive," Sasuke muttered, "you still think I'm a massive jerk at heart. And yet you want to be with me. The remaining question is: what is wrong with _you_? What am I not seeing?"

"I've told you I used to be a total loser," Naruto replied, and shifted away from Sasuke. It was getting too hot.

"You've never stopped being a total loser," the man corrected him with a self-assured smirk.

"And here you have it," the blonde yawned. "You're dating a total loser. I at least scored a ten," he snickered. "Who's the loser now, mmm?"

"Still you," Sasuke answered and turned on his side, his face just inches away from Naruto's. "I love you," he confessed in a sleepy voice. Naruto's throat tightened. Sasuke's said he loved him _twice_. Well, maybe thrice if one was to count that _me too_ as a love confession but today he did say it twice, and today he did use the word _love_. And he said it first. Naruto almost squealed with joy.

"I love you too," he replied, slowly caressing the other man's arm. "And I seriously can't wait to move in with you."

* * *

 

They moved in together not two but almost four months later because that was when there appeared an affordable flat in that hipster neighborhood Naruto liked so much. Sasuke at first wasn't too convinced, to him it seemed way too loud but the moron lead him into a certain back alley, and that pretty much sealed the deal. It wasn't till the next day, when they had already signed the lease, that Sasuke realized what had actually transpired. At that point, however, he wasn't as doubtful as before. After all, they _did_ live pretty close to the back alley.

The flat itself was rather tiny but, since the ceilings were tall, it looked spacious enough. They had a bedroom so small that if one wanted to get to the other side of the room, using the bed was the more convenient way to do so. The bathroom too was barely able to hold all the necessary appliances but it wasn't like they needed more than this. The living room was big enough to invite maybe six more people, and the kitchen was comfortably spacious. And it came with a dishwasher.

The ceilings weren't orange but white. There were no inspirational quotes on the walls, neither were there any cartoon characters (with or without dicks). Unfortunately, Sai did decide to give them one of his paintings as a housewarming gift. Fortunately, it was the one with the coffee cup, the one that could be considered artsy if one was to squint hard enough. They also got the ugliest ceramic bowl Sasuke's ever seen, courtesy of Sai's original flatmate, Deidara. It looked like something Sasuke would be able to make, and was so awful that Naruto immediately fell in love with it. So there it stood, in the center of the coffee table, making Sasuke hear the music from _Psycho_ whenever he looked at it and taunting him to break it. To his great disappointment, none of their friends managed to destroy it so far. At this point Sasuke was once again left wondering why he was even friends with Suigetsu.

Still, he liked the apartment. He liked waking up next to Naruto, he liked the blonde nagging him to do the dishes, and throwing disgusting balls of wet hair at him whenever he, usually on purpose, forgot to remove them from the shower drain. He also liked to criticize Naruto's less than satisfactory cooking skills, and he liked to whine about all these things Naruto was leaving scattered around the flat.

It was starting to feel a lot like home.

* * *

 

Naruto hiccupped, lying on the bed, and trying to force himself to be less drunk. He had showered, and that helped maybe a little but now Sasuke was in the bathroom, and it's been so long that he should probably go check on him.

"Sasuke," he yelled in a shaky voice, "you drowned in there or what?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Sasuke shouted back, sounding somewhat panicked. The blonde sat up on the bed, feeling worried. "Give me five more minutes—"

"I can help you with whatever you destroyed," the blonde screamed.

"No, no, _no_ , just stay in there," Sasuke ordered him.

"Are you _sure_ you don't need my help? Because honestly, Sasuke, there's not much that you can still do to shock me," Naruto yelled in reply.

"Everything's fine," the brunette insisted so Naruto chose to act as if he actually believed him. "Can you… come here?" Sasuke asked ten minutes later, his shout waking Naruto up.

"What's wrong?" the blonde inquired, getting up from the bed, and heading towards the bathroom. There was no water gushing from there, so that was a plus. And he didn't hear any water flushing so whatever was wrong, it had nothing to do with plumbing and that in itself was a pretty fucking great relief.

"Nothing's wrong," Sasuke growled from beyond the doors. "Just _come_ _in_."

"Fine," the blonde relented. Then he blinked, and his jaw dropped so low he'd have to see their neighbors from two floors below to get it back. "Uh," he awkwardly started but that was also pretty much the end of it. He was at a complete loss for words. Sasuke was glaring back at him, looking pissed off.

"You're not going to say anything?" the man growled, getting closer to him. Naruto gulped. He had no idea what to say. He was pretty certain he lost his ability to talk for the rest of his life. "Isn't there _anything_ you want to say right now?"

"You look great," the blonde mumbled out, barely able to recognize his own voice. "But, uh, like, you know, I was kind of expecting you to get ready for sleep, so, er, I'm just, like, _surprised_."

" _Surprised_ ," Sasuke repeated.

"Uh, like, Sasuke, you know, can you act less pissed off? I mean, like, it was _your_ decision—"

"I hate you," the brunette muttered.

"You're being ridiculous," Naruto whined. "But hey, I was right, you do look hot in a skirt," he chirped and dodged the furious hand flying his way. "And you even put on stockings. I feel blessed," he snickered, moving out of Sasuke's range.

"I'm seriously regretting it," the brunette whispered after he was once again unable to hit Naruto. The blonde sighed, and got closer to him, letting the man land his half-assed swat in hopes it would cheer him up.

"Hey, you look great and I appreciate it _a lot_ but if you're not too confident about this then, uh, I guess it's not a very good idea to keep going, _especially_ when you're drunk," he replied.

"Oh shut up," Sasuke hissed back. "I'm not doing it sober, and I'd hate having to do it again," he sighed. "But we _are_ doing this so shut up, start looking more grateful and do something," he commanded. "Or I'll be doing it until you finally give up," he threatened. "And that would piss me off _a lot_."

"Right," Naruto mumbled out. "But it feels so wrong when you're, uh, not feeling it," he complained. Sasuke rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, so the blonde decided to give up on protesting. His boyfriend had to buy the short purple skirt and the black stockings, and the black shoes with the cutest little heel, and even that white blouse when he had been sober, so this _was_ a sober decision. Kind of. Sasuke was simply embarrassed. It wasn't a good thing but perhaps he'd stop being embarrassed, and if he wouldn't, then they could always stop. Reassured by it, Naruto gently wrapped his fingers around Sasuke's wrists and lead him into the bedroom. He sat on the bed, and pulled Sasuke closer, making the man straddle him. Their lips touched, and Naruto's hand landed on his boyfriend's hip, his fingers pulling down the hem of the skirt. "Is this," he choked with arousal, earning himself a pleased grunt from Sasuke, "are you for real? _Wow_ , now this is serious attention to details," he howled, forgetting about the hem, and simply shoving his hand under the other man's skirt to feel for his ass. "Mhmmm, yes, you should just start wearing laces," he decided. "Let me get this straight," he whispered, "if we'll stop now, you're getting dressed like this again?" he checked. "Well, to be honest, you look so adorable it creeps me out but damn, Sasuke, the _laces_ ," he said, squeezing the other man's butt.

"Naruto," Sasuke let out a menacing growl, "my brother is a lawyer and there's not much he wouldn't do for me. I'm pretty certain I can get away with murder," he hissed, biting Naruto's bottom lip. "And I'm _this_ close to killing you," he threatened. The blonde laughed at it, his hand tugging on one of the stockings. Alright, fine, Sasuke looked _hot_.

"You should consider wearing skirt on a daily basis though," Naruto grinned. "It's not just that it looks great on you but it's _so_ convenient. You're pretty much ready for a fuck right now, and you're still fully dressed," he said. "Imagine the possibilities~"

"I'm always ready to pull my pants down," Sasuke muttered back. " _Imagine the possibilities_."

"It's not the same," the blonde protested, bucking his hips. He was wearing just a thin pajama pants, and Sasuke's ass was covered only with lacy panties, so it felt almost as if they were naked. Except they weren't. And that, for some reason, was hot. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sasuke's neck. The man slightly trembled under his lips, and Naruto couldn't stop the smile from blooming on his face.

He knew Sasuke's body pretty well already, almost as much, as he did his own. He knew when, where and how to touch, and yet Sasuke's reactions, while expected, remained as fascinating as they were at the very beginning. Naruto nibbled on his boyfriend's collarbone, leaving a faint hickey, one of his hands groped Sasuke's butt cheek while the other moved under the white cotton blouse and traced the man's spine. First gently, barely, and then his fingernails dug into the brunette's skin. Sasuke let out a pleased grunt, riding Naruto's clothed, half-erected dick. Soon enough they were both hard and panting.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by his waist, and pushed him onto the bed, stopping the man when he wanted to lie on his back, and forcing him to stay on his stomach. The blonde placed himself behind Sasuke, and pulled his ass up, pausing to enjoy the view. In this position the skirt was barely covering the brunette's butt, and he could see a stripe of pale skin between the hem of the skirt and the stocking. Naruto breathed in, and touched the other man's thighs, somewhat shocked when he realized the skin was perfectly smooth. He lifted the offending purple cloth, and gazed at the butt, covered only with black lacy underwear. He half-expected to see Sasuke's cock and balls hanging out from it since there was no way a small lingerie would be able to just keep all of it in place but no, it seemed that this model was created with cocks and balls in mind since everything fitted just the way it was supposed to fit.

"Wow, okay, you need more lingerie," the blonde mumbled out in a daze before leaning forward and burying his nose and mouth in Sasuke's ass. He had been opposed to eating ass before but some time ago he did it when they were both drunk out of their minds, and he realized he fucking loved it. Not as much the action itself but the way Sasuke wriggled underneath him, almost begging him to stop because it was too much, because it felt too good. Naruto planted a wet kiss on one of Sasuke's butt cheeks, spread them apart, and started to lick the man's asshole through his underwear.

"Fucking tease," the brunette snorted, his face half-buried into the fox pillow. Naruto smiled and tore a hole in the back of the lingerie. "I thought you liked these," Sasuke panted. He almost yelped when the blonde's tongue finally entered him. Before, Naruto was afraid of the taste for, uh, well, obvious reasons but, luckily for him, there wasn't really too much of a taste, especially after some licking when all he could feel was his own saliva. He breathed out, intentionally prolonging the action and letting his boyfriend enjoy the warmth and the sensation of hot air on his moist skin. "Fuck," Sasuke cursed.

"I hope you remember it's my turn now," Naruto said and immediately pushed his tongue into the eager hole. Sasuke tightened around his organ.

"What—"

" _You_ are going to fuck _me_ ," he announced, studying the pulsating pucker. "Like, seriously, good thinking, and you've almost distracted me but hey, I've seen right through your plan," he murmured. "Unless you're ready to bargain, of course," he chirped.

"I'm dressed up in a _skirt_ ," Sasuke snarled at him. "I've done my bargaining," he uttered. "So either take it or leave it," he panted as Naruto's tongue pressed against his prostate. The blonde continued eating him out for the next few seconds, pondering over whether Sasuke was truly done with bargaining, and if Naruto wasn't pushing his luck.

"Okay," he relented. "Sorry, you're right," he added. "But I'd love to see you dressed up like this again," he confessed in an apologetic voice.

"Then make me believe I have something to gain by doing it," Sasuke hissed at him.

"I will," Naruto promised. Every once in a while he wouldn't immediately recognize it when Sasuke was no longer messing with him, and he'd say things that ended up annoying his boyfriend instead of riling him up. The blonde sighed, his hand traveling towards Sasuke's girth, and pulling down on his balls. Sasuke tried to escape from his touch but Naruto held him tight. The blonde almost whimpered when he brushed against the other man's cock and felt just how damp it was. Naruto was almost certain that the brunette would be able to easily enter him even without any preparation or the lube. Sure, they _would_ need it later on but right now he could make Naruto squelch with just his precum.

* * *

 

Sasuke refrained himself from allowing yet another undignified moan escape his trembling lips but Naruto was apparently set on playing him like a fucking piano. The brunette gasped, his fist full of crumpled sheet, as a warm, wet tongue thrusted into him time after time, the tip of the organ rubbing against his prostate, causing long strands of pearly cum to drip from his helpless cock. The pleasure was _too much_. He simultaneously wanted the moron to just ram into him and pound him into the mattress to make it stop, and to beg for Naruto to _never_ stop, to milk him dry and just fucking break him into smithereens.

Sasuke whimpered when a hot thumb coated with cold lube forcefully entered his ass just to be replaced with the soft tongue seconds later. His hole felt empty, he needed to be filled to the brim, he was willing to accept anything just as long as it was long and hard, be it cock, dildo or a freaking baseball bat. His drool was slowly collecting on the stupid fox's face—the pillow has been drenched in so many of their bodily fluids that just imagining someone other than them using it felt dirty. Naruto chose that particular moment to bite down on his thigh and Sasuke was once again unable to stop himself from grunting.

"I'm not going to just enter you, I'm going to _mount_ you," the blonde whispered into his ear, his clothed dick brushing against Sasuke's leg. "Because right now you look like a bitch in heat, presenting your ass to me, and begging to be filled," he murmured.

"Then just fucking do it," Sasuke snarled at him, arching his back and hoping his legs weren't going to give up and slide apart.

"How much do you want it?" Naruto inquired, pulling away. Sasuke could hear him take off his pants, and soon enough he felt the hot head of Naruto's cock gently pressing against his abused entrance. Sasuke swallowed, forcing himself to calm down. He wanted it _a lot_ but everything inside him screamed at him to not let his lover know about it. As if Sasuke wasn't fully aware of the fact that there was virtually nothing Naruto wouldn't do for him. As if he had no idea that in the end it was Naruto, who was doing it for him and not the other way around. As if he didn't know the lengths Naruto would've gone to give him pleasure.

"Fuck me," Sasuke pleaded in a broken whisper. He was almost ashamed of how good it felt to beg.

"As you wish," the blonde replied, his fingers tightly grasping Sasuke's hips, impaling the brunette's ass with his cock, and forcing the man to gasp in surprise. Naruto slowly pulled out, and then just as slowly entered him again, this time letting Sasuke savor the sensation.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered, and his boyfriend immediately stopped moving, his grip on Sasuke's body weakening, his entire presence becoming far less than what it was mere seconds ago. _This_ was one of the reasons why Sasuke was allowing himself to be this submissive with the blonde. In the end it was him, who dealt the cards, he could make Naruto stop with just half a word. This was the irony of exerting this much power while completely giving himself over to the other person. "Naruto," he breathed out again, "how many times do you think you can come before you'll need a serious break?"

"Uh, well, I don't know, I think four or five times," the blonde answered. "Why?"

"I want you to come as much as you can for me," Sasuke confessed. "And edge me until the very end."

"Oh," Naruto mumbled out and hummed under his nose. "I'll try, okay? Tell me if it gets uncomfortable, I mean, it's going to take a while, so—"

"I'm really good at saying _no_ ," Sasuke assured him. "So get moving. You promised to mount me but it's pretty vanilla so far," he chuckled. He smirked when he heard his boyfriend snort, and felt him pull his stocking away from his thigh and then let it go back to hit him.

"I don't mind vanilla," Naruto whispered back. "But I _can_ make you into my cum dumpster," he murmured, quickening his moves. Sasuke moaned in reply. He loved Naruto fucking him, he loved fucking Naruto, and he fucking loved Naruto in general.

* * *

 

At this point Sasuke was reduced to hot, panting mess, his asshole overflowing with cum, lube and Naruto's spit, his black stockings marred by white stains, his ass and thighs sticky. The blonde came three times already, and he could feel the fourth orgasm building up in his balls. He was tired, his muscles hurt, and yet there was nothing he wanted more than to continue ravishing the brunette.

He thrusted inside, admiring the way his leftover cum dripped out of the abused asshole, fat drops of it rolling down Sasuke's skin. Naruto reached for his boyfriend's damp dick, and palmed its violently red head. The brunette's muscles spasmed, his insides tightening around Naruto's cock. The blonde breathed in, realizing that _this_ could be the last time.

"Sasuke," he whispered, barely audible over the nasty squelching sounds, "Try to come now, okay?"

"Yeah," the man rasped in reply. Naruto grinned, and slammed back into him, tearing a pleasured grunt from the brunette's throat. "Fuck," Sasuke let out a panicked curse a few thrusts later, suddenly getting up on his knees. Naruto sent him a worried look, trying to find out what was wrong when he heard a short hiss followed by a pattering sound.

"Are you," he mumbled out in disbelief, watching Sasuke's erect cock letting out a short spurt of clear, slightly white liquid. "Well stop," he demanded, grabbing a pillow and shoving it into Sasuke's crotch to stop the bed from getting thoroughly soaked.

"I can't," the man rasped, his butthole pulsating around Naruto, squeezing him, and before the blonde knew it, he too was forced to climax, its strength enough to make him collapse onto his lover who at the moment wasn't able to support his weight. "Fuck," Sasuke moaned. Naruto silently agreed with him, unable to stand up to even eye the damages. For the next minute, he could hear the hissing sound every few seconds. "Sorry," Sasuke whimpered a few minutes later. The blonde rolled his eyes even though he knew the man couldn't see him. He couldn't get up, he couldn't possibly muster enough strength to care about what's just happened and if they could still use the bed after whatever Sasuke's done to it.

"It's fine," he sighed, rubbing his face against the other man's sweaty back. "We need a shower," he complained.

"The bed is soaked," Sasuke sighed back. "But fuck, it felt _good_ ," he murmured.

"Still, I would've appreciated a warning," Naruto whined. "Couldn't you just say _sorry babe I'm about to piss our one and only bed_?"

"It's not piss," Sasuke snapped at him. "I think," he whispered, sounding far less certain than Naruto would've liked him to be.

"I don't even care anymore," Naruto realized in horror, finally slipping out from Sasuke. "I feel gross. You feel gross. Our bed feels gross. Everything's gross," he wailed. "But it felt good," he admitted.

"Glad we agree on this," Sasuke yawned.

"No, no, no, no, _no,_ we're _not_ falling asleep like _this_ , _get up_ ," he ordered.

"I can't, you're lying on me," Sasuke pointed out, sounding tired and content. The blonde growled and rolled off the other man, falling straight into a massive wet stain.

" _This is so gross_ ," he cried and jumped out from the bed. He cautiously raised his damp hand to his nose. "I think it's not piss, though," he mumbled out after sniffing it. "But it's still fucking gross, don't just let out everything at _once_ ," he muttered, pulling Sasuke's hand to force him to get up.

"I threw up on you the first day we met, what did you expect," the man cackled at him, apparently unfazed by flooding their bed, bedroom, and probably the neighbors from below as well.

"I," Naruto started only to realize that yes, Sasuke was right, _what_ did he expect from a guy who puked at him and didn't feel guilty about it? "You're impossible," he sighed, pulling the man closer for a sloppy kiss that left his lips tingling. "I love you," he confessed. "And you look great even when you look like shit," he snorted, combing through Sasuke's black locks and straightening his crumpled skirt. The man tilted his head, a smug smirk on his blushed face. "I love you," Naruto repeated. "But now we need to take care of this mess so don't even _think_ about going to sleep before we clean everything up—"

"Your cum is dripping down my thighs," Sasuke complained, his legs shaking.

"You _wanted_ it to drip down your thighs," Naruto reminded him in a grunt, and pulled a damp cover from their bed to the floor. He picked up the pillow he had used in hopes of stopping the mess and shuddered at how drenched it was. "Ew, ew, ew," he whined. "We're throwing this one out, it's beyond saving."

Sasuke merely snorted, so Naruto launched the pillow at him, enjoying the wet noise it made when it hit his boyfriend's face.

"Gross," the man snickered. "I'm sure glad it wasn't the fox," he admitted. "Next time we should use that bowl from Deidara," he suggested, and Naruto caught himself wondering just how much of it Sasuke would be able to fill.

"I like that bowl," he protested mostly to disagree with Sasuke. " _Next time_ we're doing it, we stay the fuck away from the bed," he decided. "Not to mention that next time _I'm_ the one, who gets to do nothing and look pretty," he grunted.

"Sure," Sasuke agreed, stretched his back and finally moved to help Naruto get rid of the mess, walking like a newborn fawn. The blonde almost told him to just go take a shower and that he'd prepare them a place on the couch to sleep on for tonight but he eventually decided against it. After all, it _was_ Sasuke's mess.

* * *

 

Naruto jerked up from his place on the couch upon hearing a doorbell. Itachi was coming to visit Sasuke, and while Naruto was openly anxious about the whole deal, remembering how _well_ it went last time, Sasuke was actively pretending to not be stressed at all. But when he approached the sink to wash the dishes for the fourth time that morning, groaned when he found the sink empty and started to unload the dishwasher, almost jumping in joy when he found a stain on one of the glasses, Naruto realized just how thin of a façade that was. And this was why he braced himself, slapped his own face with both palms of his hands, and approached the doors to open them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded to know in an absolutely terrified voice.

"Is _this_ how you should be greeting your boyfriend's family?" Sai chirped back.

"You're _not_ his family, go away," the blonde panicked. Sasuke just glared at them, visibly at loss for words.

"What's wrong?" Sai inquired. "Why are you so stressed? Sasuke, what have you done to him? I almost started to ship you two idiots again, and now he's all weird and jumpy," he complained, barging into Naruto and Sasuke's flat. Perhaps living in the hipster neighborhood wasn't such a good idea. Turned out Sai appeared there a _lot_ , especially after his last successes.

"I didn't do anything to him," Sasuke protested. "But we're busy, so say whatever you wanted to say, make us feel uncomfortable and leave," he sighed.

"Wow, you're a terrible brother," Sai cooed at him, headed into the kitchen and started preparing himself a coffee. Naruto had no idea when exactly Sai and them grew so close.

The doorbell rang again, and Naruto pondered whether he'd rather open the doors or jump through the window. Well, he'd much rather jump through the window but he couldn't exactly leave Sasuke _like this_. It was a total disaster. The blonde breathed in, refraining himself from bursting into tears and opened the doors.

" _No_ ," he protested. "This is _not_ happening," he complained, looking at a completely dumbfounded brunette.

"Good morning to you too, overprotective straight friend," Orochimaru greeted him in his creepy flat voice.

"Cockslut is the least straight person I know but he _is_ overprotective so I guess you're a friend of the family," Sai chimed in and walked back into the living room with Sasuke's cup in his hand. "Coffee?" he asked Orochimaru, who gladly accepted the offer.

Naruto blinked, hoping Sasuke would finally explode and chase these two away but no, Sasuke was just standing by the sink, holding the already clean glass in his hand. The blonde sat down on the couch, hiding his face in his linked hands. Why. Why. Why. _Why_.

"We're expecting a visitor," he mumbled out. "Can't we just reschedule this… whatever it is that just want from us for tomorrow?" he pleaded.

"I just came for a coffee," Sai replied and sat next to him. "Who's coming anyway? Maybe it'll do you better to have some company if you're this irked by the person," he said.

"No, your company definitely won't help," Naruto protested. "Say something, Sasuke, they're _your_ friends, and we're expecting _your_ brother," he hissed at his boyfriend, who at this moment emerged from the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hands. Naruto glared at him as he handed it to Orochimaru. Of course. Sai _offered_ the man coffee but actually making it was too much.

"You're hurting me," Sai complained. "My bro obviously comes first but you're my dear model," he added.

"Ah, so it's yours," Orochimaru said, pointing at the painting. "Excellent work. Why Naruto, though? Isn't Sasuke a much better choice?"

"You did not just say this," the blonde wailed, looking up at the ceiling.

"If you ever do decide to paint Sasuke, let me know, I'll be more than happy to see the results," Orochimaru continued, ignoring Naruto.

"Sai looks like Sasuke, and pictures of his dick are available online, so just _leave Sasuke alone_ ," Naruto growled.

"Are you _blind_? Sai looks nothing like Sasuke," the creep disagreed.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me, Naruto," Sai chimed in, pretending to be hurt.

"You called me a cockslut in front of Orochimaru the moment you saw him," Naruto yelled at him.

"So you're fine with him calling you a cockslut when Orochimaru isn't there to hear it?" Sasuke unexpectedly inquired. "I thought this was _our_ thing," he let out an obviously fake sigh, and rested his head in his hand.

"Not you too," the blonde cried out. "Do you really want Itachi to come here and see these two weirdos?"

"So you have a brother," Orochimaru whispered, unfazed by being called a weirdo.

"Don't," Naruto warned him.

"Why not? How old is he?"

"If you say even one word to my brother, I'll castrate you," Sasuke snarled at the man. The blonde sent the creep an _I've told you so_ smile.

"This young?" Orochimaru sighed. "Shame."

"Oh, no, he's actually older than Sasuke," Naruto informed him in obnoxious voice.

"Ah, so Sasuke has an older brother complex," Sai mused. "Is this why you were trying to make a move on me back then? You wanted me to call you my little brother while you'd be riding your first actual cock?"

"Wow, there's not a single person in this room that you didn't try to fuck at one point," Naruto realized before he burst out laughing.

"I guess I should leave then," a voice mumbled out.

Naruto jerked his head down to see Itachi awkwardly standing in their doorway. He slowly turned to face his boyfriend, who looked as if Medusa not only turned him to stone but also fucked every hole in his body with her rabid snakes.

"No, no, you're just on time," the blonde whispered. "I mean, ugh, fuck, not exactly _on time_ but," he stammered. "Our friends are idiots, sorry," he apologized.

"I'm Orochimaru," the man introduced himself and wanted to get up from the couch to probably properly greet Sasuke's brother but Naruto kept him in place with his arm, afraid that otherwise the meeting would end in a bloodbath. "Sasuke and Naruto are currently working as my translators," the man continued. Itachi gave him an acknowledging nod. Naruto studied the older men. Both were pale, both had dark hair, both were wearing ponytails. _Awkward_.

"You look nothing like my bro," Sai commented. "You're thinner than me, and there's place for just one thinner Sasuke with a better haircut," he chuckled. "And that's me. So I'm voting no."

"Shut up," Sasuke growled at him.

"I agree, you don't really look like brothers," Orochimaru murmured, closely studying Itachi's features and looking all creepy while doing so.

"So that's another no," Sai chirped. "Naruto, time to cast your vote. Is Itachi going to be the next top brother?"

Naruto knew better than to just blurt out that he's cast his vote months ago and that he'd voted _no_ as well. He frantically tried to come up with something smart to say but his mind was absolutely blank. This was a fucking catastrophe. This was such a sensitive topic for Sasuke, and he had to share this embarrassing moment with not just Naruto but also those two weirdos. And the two weirdos were completely unaware of how close to home they hit.

Exactly. They had _no_ idea.

"Three times no," the blonde blabbered, forcing himself to sound cheery and careless. "Sorry, Itachi," he chirped. "We were all rooting for you but it's Sai, who's going to become the next top brother," he said, trying to laugh everything off. To his great relief, Itachi finally smiled at them.

"Go eat a dick, Sai," Sasuke hissed, finally standing up to hug his brother. Ah, yes, so the crisis has been averted.

"A beautiful example of brotherly love," Naruto commented in his best radio host voice. "And I'm serious, guys, we're busy. Come see us tomorrow," he added and got up from the couch. The men quickly downed their coffee and bid them goodbye, and Naruto realized he wasn't stressed anymore. The worst thing that could've happened, happened. Now all they had to be wary of was boredom, and he genuinely missed feeling bored. "So, uh," he started, addressing the brothers, "coffee?"

"Yeah," Sasuke decided for both of them and seated his brother by the coffee table. Naruto happily marched off into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Sasuke joined him, sending him a warm smile, grabbing Naruto's hand, and pressing it against his chest. The blonde snorted at how fast his heart was beating. "It was much, much, _much_ worse," Sasuke whispered. "This is me calming down."

"We've survived them, we'll survive everything," Naruto assured him with a grin.

"We will," Sasuke agreed and smooched his boyfriend's cheek. "I'm glad you're here," he confessed. "I think I'm actually starting to feel grateful towards Neji," he snickered.

"Yeah, if we're ever going to get married, he should be our best man," Naruto agreed with a huge grin on his face. Sasuke blinked at the comment but soon enough he simply smiled back.

"He'd said it wasn't going to happen," he reminded the blonde.

"I think nobody expected this to happen," Naruto grumbled. "For fuck's sake, Sasuke, it started over your vomit, I thought I was straight, and we're pretty good friends with all these guys you were trying to score. Not to mention all those other fucked up things," he continued. "Let's just say that if there was a bet about whether we'd end up together or not, nobody sane would bet in our favor."

"Fuck them," Sasuke smiled.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, handing his boyfriend a cup of coffee, picking up the other two, and heading towards the living room. It was good. It was all good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this shitty ff has almost 130k words (not counting the notes). This means you could've read an actual book instead of this
> 
> and it means that I could've written an actual book
> 
> instead of this
> 
> who's the bigger loser, huh? (welp, there's just one of me and at least three of you so :Y)
> 
> in other news
> 
> thank you for reading, for all your kudos and comments. if you look under your chairs, you'll realize that most of you is currently lying in bed and reading this on your phone
> 
> THANK YOU!


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